As the foundation of national fitness, the government attaches great importance to physical education at school. Schools have professional physical educators and exercise facilities, and students failing to reach the required physical standards are not allowed to go on to higher schools. Spring and autumn sports meets are annual events at school. Promising teenagers are sent to amateur sports schools to receive specialized regular training.
The government also stresses the construction of juvenile sports clubs. In recent years, using proceeds from the sports lottery, the State Physical Culture Administration has established some 500 juvenile sports clubs a year. The number of such clubs stood at 3,000 by the end of 2005.
