As Chinese tennis players continue to shine on the international arena, a tennis fever is griping the country's young generations, with many encouraged to take up the sport and pursue professional careers.
Teenagers are packing into a tennis training center in Beijing. The coach told China Central Television (CCTV) that all their lessons scheduled for the day have been booked, attributing the surge in business to the popularity of international sport events.
"Since Zheng Qinwen's victory in August, the number of people coming to learn tennis has increased by about 40 percent compared to last year. To meet the demand, we've opened another two campuses and hired over ten new coaches," said Zhang Hao, a coach at the training center.
Zheng, 21, seized a historic gold at the Paris Olympic Games this summer, giving a strong impetus to the domestic tennis market. Now the 2024 China Open tennis tournament is underway in Beijing, igniting a new wave of enthusiasm for the sport.
"It used to be possible to book a class on the same day, but now I need to make an appointment two or three days in advance for a small-group lesson. It's clear that more and more people want to learn tennis," said an enthusiast.
Sixteen-year-old Deng Peien is already among China's elite tennis players, who has gained nearly 140,000 followers on social media by sharing tennis skills. She told the CCTV that there are more people learning to play tennis now, and many young players are dreaming of a professional career in the sport.
Another rising star is 16-year-old Kong Weiyi, who's one of the sparring partners for Zheng during the China Open. He also participated in the China Open Junior competitions where he had the opportunity to interact with professional players.
"I feel great today. I've practiced well. I will learn from [professional players] about how to prepare for matches and maintain a positive attitude in training," Kong said after sweating it out on the court
Starting practicing tennis at the age of six, Kong won the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors men's singles champion in March. Kong said he believes that becoming an elite professional player requires more than just talent, stressing the need of systematic training.
"[A professional team] usually includes one to two tennis coaches, along with experts in physical fitness, nutrition, rehabilitation, and massage therapy. While a gift is important at the beginning, over 95 percent of success comes from hard work later on," Kong said.
Tennis fever grips young Chinese following domestic players' high-profile wins
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
