Deputy looks to keep winter sports momentum

Making innovation a priority, Anta has invested more than 3 billion yuan on research and development, or more than 5 percent of its annual sales.

Over the next decade, the company plans to spend about 20 billion yuan to upgrade its global innovation platform. The plans include enhancing the research and development of winter sports technology, as the growth of domestic snow and ice sports brands are vital to the sustainable development of the industry, Ding said.

For example, during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the company provided gear for China's short track speed skating team with breakthrough technology to make equipment and clothing lighter, safer and more breathable.

The legislator suggested in his proposal to the NPC that China continue to use existing winter venues and museums and to extend collaborations between schools, communities and snow and ice enterprises to make winter sports more popular.

In regions that allow winter sports, for example, it would be helpful to involve snow and ice sports in physical education classes in primary and secondary schools to encourage young people to participate.

The government should also subsidize the costs of winter sports training and maintenance of related venues, Ding said in his proposal.

He also suggested enhancing exchanges with top snow and ice R&D centers around the world, formulating plans on key technology research and upgrades to boost manufacturing capacity, and encouraging and supporting collaborations between winter sports gear manufacturers and venue operators.