Beijing exhibit inspires sports delegation

China's world champion athletes and coaches hail the country's achievements in all walks of life, especially in the sports sector, as motivation to contribute more to the country's aspiration to become a world sporting power.

From the exquisite torch used at the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics to the fancy cycling helmets painted with Peking opera masks worn by Chinese track cyclists at the 2016 Rio Olympics, items on display in the sports sector at an exhibition in Beijing on Monday triggered oohs and aahs from visitors flocking to the show to review China's social and economic achievements over the past five years.

Several high-profile athletes also toured the show at the Beijing Exhibition Hall to recall their personal sports highlights while learning about the latest achievements their country has achieved in other areas.

"I feel really thrilled to learn how much our country has developed in so many areas, not only in sports, with such a concrete presentation of items, illustration and models," Dong Dong, China's Olympic and world champion trampoline athlete, told China Daily on the sideline of the exhibit. "The sense of national pride just encourages you to work harder in whatever you do individually."

Dong was among a whopping 1,000-member sports delegation on Monday who visited the exhibition, Five Years of Sheer Endeavor, which opened on Sept 25.

On the momentum of scientific innovation that has benefited the country's economy and environmental protection, the installation of a technology-centered approach to boost sports development at both elite and grassroots levels in the country's traditional State-run sports system deserves credit as well, Dong said.

"The progress in our talent-developing system, which now combines all relevant sciences, is really remarkable," said the 28-year-old veteran.

Dong's table tennis counterpart, Fan Zhendong, China's young world champion paddler, said the inspiration he drew at the exhibit will boost his morale to continue to win more titles and to promote active energy off the stage.

"Since the top leadership in our country attaches so much importance to sport's development, we as front runners in the business shall shoulder more responsibilities to spread the positive energy of sports participation to the public," said Fan, who won his first world title at 17 years and 103 days old in May 2014, becoming China's youngest to do so.

Amid the sports delegates, the Chinese women's national handball team's new coach, Jesper Holmris of Denmark, attracted attention for his sheer interest in items of various categories.

"It's interesting to be here to see how fast the development has been going on in China, which was amazing," said Holmris, who last visited China 20 years ago.

"This is like a team-building experience for us, coming from Scandinavian culture to learn about what's going on in general in China, which will help us better understand the culture and do our job in sports," he said.