Festival begins in Guangxi to promote mass sport

NANNING - In the festival designated to promote mass sport, sports enthusiast Chen Guanquan joined his favorite cycling race.

Working for a company in Guangxi's capital city Nanning, Chen is captain of Eagle cycling team which was formed by cycling fans.

"I love to do sport in my spare time. Through participating in sports, I not only build up my body, but also make many friends," said Chen, who competed in the race on the day that was the opening day of Beijing Olympics Games in 2008 and now turned into the mass sport festival.

"I don't care much about the result. I just wish to to get to know more riders," said Chen.

To promote a healthier life style, Guangxi started holding sports festival annually from 2009. Starting from Aug 8 this year, the festival will last for three months and is expected to draw more than one million people to take part in more than 300 sporting events.

Nanning Mayor Zhou Hongbo said this year's festival aims to meet the various fitness needs of different groups of people. People can enjoy more than 20 sports including walking, fitness dance, aerobics, cycling, cross-country car racing, volleyball, badminton, basketball, billiards and fishing.