Students participate in a rowing event. [Photo/Shanghai Observer]

The "Supezet Cup" Youth Sports Carnival commenced with great fanfare in Shanghai's Minhang district, drawing enthusiastic participation from local schools and students. The carnival, with water sports and baseball as its main attractions, witnessed the spirited involvement of nearly 100 local and international students, representing a total of seven local schools.

Nestled in Huacao town, the carnival stands as a highlight of the town's Citizen's Sports Festival, a grand celebration encompassing over 20 sports disciplines such as martial arts, rock climbing, golf, and table tennis, alongside trendy activities like pot pitching, archery, and frisbee.

The festival's inauguration saw Xie Desheng, a distinguished nunchaku champion of the World Wushu Championships, astound spectators by using nunchakus to catch and hit an impressive 28 badminton shuttlecocks from a machine within a minute, securing a new Guinness World Record.

Officials from the Huacao Cultural and Sports Center highlighted the festival's collaborative spirit, as it promoted competitive games while teaming up with various local departments and sports enterprises to host a diverse range of trendy sports activities that catered to different groups. This includes football, squash, basketball, ballroom dancing, and badminton.

Beyond its sporting allure, the festival emerged as a vibrant platform for enterprises and businesses to showcase their products and projects. Sports experiences such as dance and climbing were on offer, complemented by on-site sales from merchants that specialize in activities like wax dyeing.

Huacao town has been actively introducing enterprises into its regional development plans through a series of cultural and sports initiatives. In 2021, the town introduced rowing and incorporated rowing courses into several local schools, thus establishing the Huacao rowing sports brand. Furthermore, a collaboration with the Shanghai Baseball and Softball Association ensured that free baseball classes were introduced to eight schools, benefiting nearly 1,900 students.

Simultaneously, Huacao is spearheading the development of its sports infrastructure. An example of this is the development of the Qianwan Park project in Minhang district, which is set to provide residents with a state-of-the-art fitness environment.

Source: Shanghai Observer