Raising the nation's game

China's sports minister says more needs to be done in the fight against corruption and the implementation of sports industry reforms as the country redoubles its efforts to build a fully fledged global sporting power by 2035.

As Chinese athletes shape up for the Paris Olympics following a successful 2023, sports chief Gao Zhidan highlighted remaining shortcomings that need to be addressed by sports governing bodies and relevant departments — namely, the decline of the men's national 'big-ball' programs, corruption involving top officials, and a lack of diversification in the sports industry.

Only by developing balanced prowess at both the elite and grassroots levels can China call itself a true global sporting power, according to Gao, director of the General Administration of Sport of China.

"The sports sector in our country enjoyed a progressive year in 2023, marked by the successful hosting of the Hangzhou Asian Games and Chengdu Summer Universiade," Gao, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, said on Monday after the closing of the top legislature's annual meeting at the Great Hall of the People.

"Yet, with 11 years to go before the deadline, we still have a lot of catching up to do. We need to stay coolheaded, despite all the progress we've made, and tackle long-term issues hampering the development of the sports sector," Gao added.