The combination of sports, business and tourism "Come to the Games with the Whole Family" stimulates new vitality, and youth competitions move out of the gymnasium and into the bustling shopping malls
The Shanghai International Fashion Center is bustling on weekends. In the mall, a special "arena" is surrounded by three circles inside and outside. This year, the annual Shanghai Youth Sports Elite Series Fencing Competition and Shanghai Youth Fencing Championship were moved into the mall, allowing this youth event, which was originally held in a gymnasium, to enter a busy commercial area and become the focus of the intersection of sports, business and tourism.
After two days of fierce competition, despite the heat and humidity and heavy rain during the plum rain season, it still attracted a large number of people: according to real-time data on site, the number of people on June 22 was nearly 10,000, a year-on-year increase of 24%, and the mall's revenue increased by 7% year-on-year, demonstrating the huge potential of the new sports and business model and promoting the internal circulation of the economy.
This competition attracted 703 female youth fencing athletes to participate in the competition. The competition was divided into individual and team competitions, with a total of 4 age groups. The contestants came from the representative teams of 16 districts in Shanghai. It was the highest level youth fencing competition in Shanghai. After two days of intense and exciting competition, not only all 24 gold medals were decided, reflecting the development level of Shanghai's youth fencing projects in various districts, but also providing a platform for young athletes to show their potential and style.
This competition is not only a sports event, but also an attempt to combine sports and commercial tourism. 28 tracks, scattered in shopping malls and catwalks, give children different experiences. During the event, the popularity of restaurants and shops in Shanghai International Fashion Center increased greatly. Many participating families and tourists took the opportunity to watch the game and promoted shopping and food services in the surrounding areas. This combination of sports events and commercial tourism not only increases the viewing value of the event, but also promotes the development of the local economy. "Fencing competitions are all 'family competitions'. Children participate, accompanied by their parents, and the whole family goes out, so it can drive consumption very well," said Fei Zhengwei, the person in charge of the event organizer.
The venue for this competition is a combination of sports and business. Many families spent a weekend here with competition, food and fun. The coffee shop just a stone's throw away from the stadium was packed for two consecutive days, and the surrounding fast food restaurants were also hard to find.
Mr. Liu brought his child from Qingpu District to participate in the competition. This was his first time to participate in a competition in a shopping mall. "It's quite interesting. The child is competing in the mall, and spectators, both familiar and unfamiliar, are cheering for her," he said. "This competition mode is much more interesting than in a gymnasium. The competition of teenagers needs more attention. The child is also inspired to fight in such a special venue."
In recent years, the fencing project in Shanghai has shown a good momentum of development, and the number of young people participating in fencing has increased significantly. According to statistics in April this year, the number of new registered fencing players in Shanghai has exceeded 4,500, ranking second among the 41 registered Olympic and National Games projects.
"Fencing is very popular among parents born in the 1980s because it is a competitive sport, can train the body's agility, and can also cultivate children's temperament. The fencing training market in Shanghai is also quite hot," said a staff member of the Shanghai Fencing Association. Currently, there are more than 100 training units in Shanghai, including schools, sports schools and social clubs, and more than 15,000 young people have participated in fencing training. He said that thanks to the high degree of "socialized operation" of the fencing project, citizens will have more opportunities to participate in the sport.
