Sport in chine

Badminton
Badminton is popular in China thanks to its relative simplicity in recreational use and inexpensive equipment.^{[citation needed]} Many Chinese badminton players have gained international success and fame, especially the many Gold medalists at the BWF World Championships. It is a popular recreational, and professional sport, with amateur leagues throughout the country.
Bandy
China started a bandy development programme by organising educational days in Ürümqi in June 2009.^[8] They did not come as planned to the 2011 Asian Winter Games. However, China national bandy team debuted in the 2015 Bandy World Championship.^[9] Harbin hosted Division B of the 2018 tournament.^[10]
A picture of the team based in Harbin is available online.^[11]
The China women's national bandy team made its World Championship debut in 2016.^[12] Chengde hosted the 2018 tournament.^[13]
China has announced its intention to participate in both the men's and women's tournament of the 2019 Winter Universiade.^[14]
In terms of licensed athletes, it is the second biggest winter sport in the world.^[15]
Baseball
Baseball was first introduced in 1864 with the establishment of the Shanghai Baseball Club by American medical missionary Henry William Boone.^[16][17] Organized baseball games were established with a game between the St. Johns University and the Shanghai MCA baseball club in 1905. However, in 1959 Mao Zedong disbanded all the teams and outlawed baseball.^[16]
After the Cultural Revolution ended, baseball activities restarted, and the China Baseball Association formed in 1974.^[18] In 2002, the China Baseball League was formed, and China participates in the World Baseball Classic. Defeats of the national team to Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea may help change the trend as Chinese become more aware of the game's internationalization.^[19]