To promote national fitness and spark people's passion for sports at the grassroots level, Shanghai conducted a comprehensive and year-long gala for amateurs.

The Shanghai Amateur Games, organized by Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau and aimed at encouraging residents from all age groups to compete, the Games kicked off in January and will wrap up at the end of this month.

Basketball, soccer and volleyball are among the 10 major disciplines, with the hoops competition attracting around 70,000 players from colleges and companies in the city.

"Players from more than a thousand companies have joined," said Dai Fuqi, CEO of Rucker Park, a co-organizer of the basketball tournament.

"Apart from the massive participation, we also ensured high quality and professionalism, in accordance with the requirements of the Shanghai Sports Municipal Bureau."

Many of the players - ordinary students and white-collar workers - never expected to participate in such high-caliber games in front of crowds of appreciative spectators.

"We are so happy to join," said Cheng Qi. "All of the players on my team are from different areas of work. We never received professional training. We just love basketball and meet with each other when we play in the courts of Rucker Park. The competition is organized in a very professional way."

Rucker Park is owned by Shanghai Luohe Sports Development Co Ltd, the largest chain of gyms in Shanghai.

The company specializes in the sports management and training, and the construction of sports venues.

(China Daily 11/22/2017 page24)