On July 30, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China have published their Interim Implementation Plan regarding the Special Actions on Building Civil Football Pitches across China, announcing that newly built football pitches will receive a fixed subsidy from the central government’s budget if the pitches meet specific requirements. New standard 11-a-side football pitches will receive RMB 2 million each,  while new 5-a-side, 7-a-side or 8-a-side football pitches will receive no more than RMB 1 million. The NDRC is encouraging local governments to provide further support to football pitches through financial funding, sports lottery funding, development financing and other ways of funding.

The plan aims to make use of the budget of the central government and help from local governments to inspire non-governmental organizations to participate in the building of football pitches, creating a solid infrastructural foundation for the development of football in China.

As the name of the plan implies, the subsidized football pitches will mainly be used by regular people. The plan encourages local governments to build football pitches close to where people live, making it convenient for people to play football and utilize these  pitches.

The objective of the plan is to substantially increase the number and quality of football pitches available to citizens and their usage, and help improve the sustainability of the operational organization. It will also help the contractors lower the cost of construction and hence lower the price of services. The ultimate goal of the plan is to make people happy with the football pitches.

Reference: National Development and Reform Commission

Proofread by Raymond Fitzpatrick