CALL OF SPORT: Sales of sporting goods increase greatly
during and after the Beijing Olympic Games

Chinese are still flush with the glow of the Olympics and sport has never been more popular as a consequence. The Paralympic Games are continuing to drive this fixation on health and exercise.

China's Olympic success in sports where it previously lagged behind, like boxing and fencing, has aroused interest in them among ordinary people.

According to the Bee Fencing Club, a Beijing-based fencing society that was founded this year, the number of persons that called them to enquire about learning fencing saw a big increase after Chinese fencer Zhong Man won a gold on August 12 at the Beijing Olympic Games.

"More than 20 persons called us on August 13, just one day after Zhong's success," said a spokesperson of the club in an interview with CCTV.

A female member of the club said in the same interview that in the past she thought fencing was a noble sport out of reach for ordinary people, but after watching the fencing competition at the Olympics, she was deeply attracted by the courtesy and etiquette and the exquisite swordplay, which was the main reason for her to choose this sport as a hobby.

Like fencing, boxing has also been accepted by more and more Chinese after boxer Zou Shiming won a gold on August 24, the first boxing gold for China in the history of the Olympiad.

Cui Hong is a boxing lover in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. After China's boxing success Cui enrolled his son in the local boxing club, hoping to cultivate mental and physical toughness in the boy.

These are a few examples of the new sports fever throughout China caused by the Olympic Games. In addition, entering 2008, sports commodity consumption in the country has steadily increased, including sports outfits, basketballs, footballs and ping-pong, tennis and badminton rackets.

Cheng Ye, a manager of men's wear department of Ganjiakou Plaza in west Beijing, said the sales volume of sports goods has increased greatly compared to the same period the previous year.

"Compared with other commodities, sports goods with Olympic logos sell better," he said.

According to the Marketing Department of the plaza, sales of sportswear, shoes and accessories from May to August this year increased by 22 percent over the same period last year.