The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games are just around the corner, but the interest in China is not high.
“The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games are about to kick off, but everyone seems indifferent and unexcited,” Chinese media outlet Sohu reported on Sunday (June 17), suggesting that the Asian Games are not getting much attention in China.
Like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and AFC Asian Cup, the Asian Games is the continent’s largest multi-sport event held every four years and has a long history in Asia, with the first edition held in 1951.
“In a few days, China will host the highly anticipated Hangzhou Asian Games. In the bidding process, China competed with Vietnam, but the burden of hosting the Asian Games weighed heavily on Vietnam, which withdrew its bid early due to budgetary concerns. This is why Hangzhou’s victory is so eye-catching.”
“The Asian Games will serve as a great engine of change for the city of Hangzhou in terms of infrastructure development. Statistics show that RMB 224.8 billion will be invested in the construction of urban infrastructure and venues alone, which will lay a solid foundation for Hangzhou’s future development. More importantly, the Asian Games will allow us to showcase the beauty of Hangzhou to the world, which will attract more tourists and investment,” he said, explaining the significance of the Asian Games.
When I actually arrived in Hangzhou, I was greeted by giant buildings with unusual shapes. The Media Village and Main Media Center (MMC) were built on a large scale and the facilities were excellent. They were built in a modern design with a clean look.
The media said, “The Asian Games will raise the level of organizational management of major sports events in China and train more excellent young athletes to represent China. It will make a great contribution to the long-term development of China’s sports industry,” emphasizing that it could also be a boon for sports development.
However, the media said, “Despite all these benefits, the Chinese people don’t seem to be as excited about the event as in the past. It’s strange. Perhaps this phenomenon is due to the fact that the Chinese people pay attention to a wider range of issues than sporting events,” arguing that it “reflects a shift in social focus.”
“As the Hangzhou Asian Games approach, people are starting to focus more and more on the sporting event, but at the same time, we have to face the reality of investment and return. Hangzhou has invested huge amounts of money in improving infrastructure and building stadiums to host a successful Asian Games. The cost of building the stadium alone is 10.09 billion yuan (about $1.86 trillion), not including the cost of organizing the event and security. However, the expected revenue is not as impressive as expected.”
“Sponsorship revenue is 6 billion yuan ($1.969 trillion), copyright revenue is 4 billion yuan ($731.3 billion), and ticket revenue is 4.6 billion yuan ($84.1 billion), with the total amount falling far short of 150 billion yuan ($27.424 trillion). This disparity has given the Chinese people something to think about. The losses raise an important question: “Should we not only focus on high-quality competitions and athletes in sporting events, but also consider their financial viability?”” the media reported.
“Sporting events undoubtedly have important social and cultural value. They inspire ordinary people to participate in sports activities, promote the name of the city, and provide citizens with the experience of cultural exchange and healthy entertainment. However, if the investment is too large, it may cause unnecessary economic risks and have a negative impact on financial health.” The cultural benefits of sporting events may be overshadowed by financial losses.
“After the Asian Games, some people demanded that the stadium, which was built with a large budget, be opened to Hangzhou citizens for free. The Chinese people now believe that improving the physical quality of the entire population is the most important thing. Indifference to the Asian Games is actually an indication of a growing concern for people’s health.”메이저사이트
“The pressures of modern society have made people more concerned about their own physical health than the performance of elite athletes,” said Sohu. “The pace of life in modern society is getting faster and faster, and people’s stress levels are getting higher and higher. This environment has created a mindset that emphasizes universal health. People’s exercise and health are not only important for individuals, but also the foundation of national prosperity and development,” he said, adding that the city’s economic losses from hosting the Asian Games and people’s stress in the fast-paced modern world are the reasons for the lack of interest in the Hangzhou Games.