The National Games will likely keep functioning as a link in the state-sponsored sports system, which mobilizes resources all over China to scout, train and select sports talents and elevates the very best to the national teams.

However it is impossible to ignore the fact that the whole sporting system has previously come under criticism: several scandals have stemmed from the extreme focus on gold medals, which had the effect of distancing sports from the general public.

The changes did not happen overnight. But when they did occur, they began to put the country on a stronger footing by allowing it to put sports in perspective.

A government guideline unveiled in late 2017 (one year after the 12th National Games in Shenyang, Liaoning) pushed for accelerating the development of the sports industry and boosting sports consumption. This was followed by policies including the milestone soccer reform led by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which promised more sports facilities, easier organization of competitions, favorable policies for sports-related businesses and emphasized on-campus sports.

The reform is two pronged: it aims to create a "Healthy China" while at the same time tapping the massive economic potential of the sports industry -- setting a goal for the sector to grow into an industry worth 800 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. The changes are having an effect from the top down as well as from the bottom up. Around the time the government launched the policies, grassroots sports came to life and developed with a rapidity that exceeded every expectation.

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