Former Olympic champion calls for new sports laws

To help develop China's sports industry, new laws are necessary to clarify certain legal uncertainties for entrepreneurs in the industry, a deputy to Shanghai People’s Congress said.

The deputy, Tao Luna, was a women's 10-meter pistol shooting gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She is now an official at the Shanghai Bicycle and Fencing Sports Center.

In 2019, the central government proposed making the sports industry a “pillar” in the country’s economy, an industry that lags behind many developed countries. That year, the sports industry contributed 1.14 percent to the country’s GDP, and 1.5 percent to the city's GDP. By comparison, in South Korea, the sports industry contributed more than 4 percent to the country’s GDP in 2017.

Some sports companies have expressed interest in using abandoned factory buildings, rooftops of existing buildings and empty space on elevated roads for sports facilities, but are restricted by current regulations related to land use and fire safety.

Tao thinks new standards should be implemented to remove legal uncertainties regarding the use of certain new sports equipment. For example, there should be clarity as to whether laser shooting training systems are subject to firearm management rules, and whether ski and snowboard simulators should be considered highly dangerous.

She said new laws should also support small and medium-size sports companies, encourage the integration of the sports industry with industries such as information technology, financial services and tourism, and regulate the quality of sports services.