Sports for All (SFA) Strategies: An Integrated 21st Century Model of Leisure, Sports and Health in Guangzhou, China

AbstractThe rapid economic growth in China not only has improved people's living standard but changed their way of living as well. The adoption of the National Fitness Program (NFP) in 1995 transformed the government's focus from elite sport to grassroots sport activity. The program aims to improve the health and well-being of the people nationwide by implementing diverse Sports For All (SFA) strategies. Guangzhou is the third biggest city in China. Its economic prosperity, well-developed infrastructure, and residents' traditional enthusiasm for sport are all advantages to promote mass sport. Guangzhou SFA strategies include: 1) developing sport facilities; 2) providing diverse sport activities; 3) establishing a service delivering system; 4) evaluating citizens' physical fitness. The mission of the city is to become a leisure, sports and health center in China as well as a historic, culturally famed city. The future direction of the Guangzhou SFA is to create an integrated model of leisure, sports, and health to meet people's growing need for personal well-being and a higher quality of life.