On Feb. 28, the General Administration of Sports and the Shougang Group signed a cooperation agreement. They will jointly prepare for the Winter Olympics and develop the national sports industry demonstration area. The Shougang Group specializes in steel production, as well as mining, machinery, electronics, construction, real estate, services and oversea trade. It is a super large group with cross-regional and multinational businesses, and is also a well-known enterprise in China.
At the signing ceremony, Gou Zhongwen, the Director and Party Secretary of the General Administration of Sports, awarded the Shougang Group the license for the “National Sports Industry Demonstration Area.”
This cooperation is based on the transformation of the Shougang Group, and aims at assisting the national sports teams to prepare for the Winter Olympics, as well as the development of the national sports industry.
According to the agreement, the two sides will cooperate in five areas.
Firstly, they will build a high-level core area for the Winter Olympics. This include: (a) turn the waste plants of the Shougang Group into training sites for the national sports teams; (b) ensure that 11 national sports teams can undertake 45 types of training including short track speed skating, figure skating, curling and ice hockey; (c) construct projects related to the Winter Olympics Square.
Secondly, they will jointly build the national sports industry demonstration area. This will consolidate national sports resources in the demonstration area. They will build it into a model of the Olympics promoting the development of the city, a model of industrial heritage reuse & industrial area recovery and a model of a large state-owned enterprise developing a complex sports industry.
Thirdly, they will build sports headquarters, support the construction of the Shougang Sports Building and the Winter Olympics Square. The aim is to attract national sports organizations, famous sports enterprises, social sports organizations and premium sports brands to settle in the area.
Fourthly, they will set up a sports industry fund for Beijing and Tianjin’s synergetic development. The fund will be exclusively used to support the construction of the national sports industry demonstration area, implementation of large international sports brand events, popularization of snow sports activities, promotion of the Olympic culture and the development of a creative sports industry.
Lastly, they will strive for special policies for a sports industry free trade area. They will set up a sports industry free trade area/store at the Shougang Winter Olympics Square, implement free trade of premium winter & outdoor sports equipment and devices, explore the development potential of the sports industry demonstration area, build a sports industry ecosystem and a first-class sports experience center in partnership with internationally famous sports equipment companies and the Shougang Group.
Source: Worldteam
Proofread by Sean O Diobhilin