A range of Olympic merchandise from Quanzhou, an innovation-driven manufacturing city in East China's Fujian Province, is making a prominent appearance at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, distinguished by its exquisite design, complex manufacturing process, and eco-friendly attributes.
Quanzhou-based Anta Sports, China's leading sportswear producer and a key sponsor of the Chinese sports delegation, has created innovative designs for the Chinese athletes' victory ceremony uniforms at the Paris Olympics.
The uniforms feature traditional Chinese motifs, such as dragon scale patterns and intricate embroidery. Furthermore, the use of eco-friendly materials, including recycled nylon, has reduced the carbon footprint of the clothing production by over 50 percent.
The design of the game shoes for Chinese weightlifters has also been improved. Each pair now weighs approximately 1.2 kilograms but can withstand over a ton of pressure, roughly equivalent to the weight of 14 adults.
"When weightlifters need to exert their explosive power, the shoes help them lift heavy weights more securely. This year, we made some technical improvements to the shoes, enhancing the stability performance of the shoes for supporting lifting movement by nearly 50 percent. We invest over a billion yuan (about 138 million U.S. dollars) each year in research and development, with a total investment of nearly six billion yuan (about 828 million U.S. dollars) to date," said Christina Li, vice president of Anta Group.
Another Quanzhou-based company, Peak Sports, supplies sportswear for Olympic teams from 11 countries at the Paris Games, including Brazil, Belgium, and New Zealand.
In addition, over 200,000 souvenirs featuring the Paris Olympic mascot "Phryge," including resin figurines, keychains, and other official merchandise, are all produced in this manufacturing city.
"We were officially authorized to produce seven types of Olympic resin figurines and two types of key chains this time. The quality standards for Olympic products are strict, and the manufacturing process is complex. Our products have gained strong approval from the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee," said Jiang Lingyan, business manager at Quanzhou Nanyang Arts and Crafts Co., Ltd.
According to Quanzhou Customs, exports of sports goods and equipment from Quanzhou reached 550 million yuan (approximately 76 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2024, marking a 59.4 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, Quanzhou has exported 73 batches of Olympic-related sportswear and other products, amounting to approximately 743,000 items.
Quanzhou-made Olympic merchandise shines on Paris stage
