Sports 'sunrise sector' with huge upside

China should bolster domestic demand through the sports industry, reinforce the role of private enterprises in national innovation, and enhance adolescent mental health through physical activity, said Ding Shizhong, a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Ding, who also serves as vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and chairman of the board of Anta Group, emphasized that his priorities this year center on practical and forward-looking approaches, aiming to help lay a solid foundation for the nation's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

Aligning with the Central Economic Work Conference's directive to prioritize domestic demand, Ding highlighted the sports industry as a "sunrise sector" with immense potential to drive economic growth.

This potential is evidenced by recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics, which show that in 2025, retail sales of sports and entertainment products by enterprises above a designated size rose by 15.7 percent year-on-year. While this double-digit growth signals a robust public appetite for fitness gear and consumption upgrades, Ding said that the sector still faces challenges such as insufficient effective supply and limited consumption scenarios.

To address these bottlenecks, Ding advocated for optimizing policy support to spark public enthusiasm and deepening the cross-sector integration of "Sports+" to ensure synergy across the industrial chain. He further called for enriching consumption offerings by developing services tailored to diverse groups and promoting the convergence of sports and healthcare to systematically unlock the intrinsic power of the market.

Turning to the drive for high-level technological self-reliance, Ding stressed that private enterprises are instrumental in developing "new quality productive forces". According to the State Information Center, the private sector's strength surged during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), characterized by the "Two 92s" — private firms now account for over 92 percent of both total enterprises and national high-tech enterprises in company counts. Given this dominance, along with their agility and proximity to market demands, Ding argued that private firms are not only major investors in research and development, but also critical carriers for commercializing research outcomes.

Identifying current pain points — such as limited channels for private firms to join major national scientific tasks and a lack of intermediate pilot testing platforms — Ding suggested establishing a normalized mechanism for private sector participation in State-level projects.

He urged policymakers to refine the system for recognizing and incentivizing innovation contributions and to issue practical guidelines for building innovation consortia. These measures, he said, would remove barriers and position private enterprises as a main force in the national innovation system.

On the social front, Ding addressed the critical issue of adolescent well-being, echoing the Ministry of Education's recent "Health First" initiative. While acknowledging the vital role of sports in alleviating anxiety and building resilience, he pointed out persisting issues such as the marginalization of physical education classes and the uneven distribution of resources between urban and rural areas.

He recommended a sustained "Sports + Psychology" approach, stressing the need to guarantee adequate PE curriculum time and enrich high-quality practical activities to bridge regional gaps.

"Private firms always resonate with the country's development," Ding said. He affirmed that his suggestions reflect a commitment to high-quality industry growth and national strategies, pledging that Anta will continue to focus on its core business and innovation to contribute to building a leading sports nation.

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn