Sport in chine

Football

Cuju, an ancient form of football from China
Main article: Football in China
Football is the most popular spectator sport in the country^[4] and has been one of the most well supported sports in China ever since it was introduced in the 1900s.^{[citation needed]} There is also written evidence that a game similar to football, Cuju, was first played in China around 50 BC.^[5] The current Chinese Football Association (CFA) was founded in the PRC after 1949. Its headquarters is located in Beijing, and the current chairman is Cai Zhenhua. From 1994 to 2004, the CFA established the first professional football league, which was "Jia A". The Chinese Super League (CSL) is the premier football league in China, which was changed from "Jia A" in 2004, as the top of a league hierarchy that extends to four leagues. Jia in Chinese also means "First" or "Best". Since its foundation the Super League has been relatively unstable, and has struggled to maintain popularity.^[6] In 2016, the average attendance of the CSL was 24,159 making it one of the highest attending professional football league around the world.

Badminton

Because of its relative simplicity, inexpensive equipment, and accessibility to venues, Badminton is a very established and popular sport in China. It’s a popular recreational sport and amateur leagues exist across the country.

Baseball

Baseball in China first appeared in 1863 with the establishment of the Shanghai Baseball Club by American medical missionary Henry William Boone. However, in 1959 Mao Zedong disbanded all teams and outlawed baseball. After the Cultural Revolution ended, baseball activities restarted, and the China Baseball Association formed in 1974. However, it is not a popular sport and Chinese often sees it as a mere American curiosity due to its slow pace.

Basketball

Yao Ming has popularized basketball and the National Basketball Association has an inspired public relations effort to expand the sport. Massive television audiences for basketball games during the 2008 Beijing Olympics (especially the China-US match on the men’s side) have led many to believe that basketball is not far from overthrowing table tennis and association football as the most played and watched sports in China, respectively. The Chinese Basketball Association was established in 1995 and in 2004 it expanded to 12 teams.