Hosting the first National Youth Games has aroused a sports craze among local citizens, according to Yang Yimin, mayor of Fuzhou.

A lot of sports facilities have been built across the city, driving the popularity of many sports including badminton, tennis, swimming, basketball, mountain-climbing and square dancing to new heights. And many businesses will cash in on the boom in mass fitness by tapping into management of sports venues, he said.

Yang was addressing a NYG press conference on Oct 25 that summarized the impact of the biggest sports event Fujian has ever hosted, which comes to an end on Tuesday.

The organizers of NYG have adopted a frugal style by keeping the opening and closing ceremonies simple, which is a good precedent for sports meetings in the future. The saved money can be spent on other ways to attract more youngsters to engage in sports, said Yang.

Many of NYG’s facilities and materials were borrowed or rented instead of being bought, leading to savings of more than 21 million yuan ($3.3 million) in costs, according to an official with NYG’s Fuzhou Committee.

A press conference about the impact on Fujian province of the first National Youth Games is held in Fuzhou, Oct 25. [Photo by Yang Jie/chinadaily.com.cn]