Thanks to the development of China's economy and society, the country's sports and fitness industry is taking off, vice-minister of the General Administration of Sport Zhang Faqiang said yesterday.

And with 34 percent China's population between the ages of 7 and 70 taking regular physical exercise, now is the perfect time for foreign investment to enter the market, he said.

Ten years ago, the government issued an outline national fitness program to enhance the development of national public fitness.

Since then, rapid progress has been made in building sports and fitness venues and facilities, raising public awareness of the importance of keeping fit and in organizing sporting activities, Zhang said.

Encouraged by the central government's call to build a harmonious society and to prepare for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, people have obviously become more conscious of their fitness, Zhang said.

"The growth in income and awareness give an impetus to the booming of the fitness industry including production and sales of sports wear and equipment, venue services and sports training," he added.

Zhang made the remarks at a press conference given by the State Council Information Office yesterday.

According to the second national survey of the present status of China's mass sports, of all those who took part in sports activities in 2000, nearly 9 percent spent their time and money at profit-making fitness venues, 0.2 percent more than in 1996, Zhang noted.

More people, especially those in developed cities like Beijing and Shanghai, are expected to spend more money at the profit-making fitness centers in the coming years.

In 1995, the average expenditure on entertainment, fitness and education for an urban family, was about 312 yuan (US$38), by 2003 that figure had more than tripled, Zhang said.

The combined number of profit-making and not-for-profit fitness sites in the country is still not yet enough to meet the quickly increasing demand, he said.

In China, on average, there are 6.58 sports facilities per 10,000 people.

In developed countries, including the US and Japan, the figure is around 200 sports facilities per 10,000 people.

"The Chinese sports and fitness industry is still just starting and has a lot of opportunities ahead of it," Zhang Haifeng, spokesman for the General Administration of Sport, told China Daily.

And compared with other specialized industries, such as telecom and insurance, the sports and fitness business is comparatively open to foreign investment and cooperation, the spokesman said.

It is estimated that the value of China's sports and fitness industry will reach at least 28.12 billion yuan (US$3.4 billion) in the year 2010, Zhang Faqiang said.

Meanwhile, Zhang Faqiang noted that the State General Administration of Sports of China has spent 60 per cent of the public welfare fund from the sports lottery sales each year on National Fitness Program projects,

(China Daily July 15, 2005)