Imagine a large open space with two teams running, throwing, passing and catching a disc, a thin flat round dish. It is called flying disc (飞碟), the newest popular sport in young people in China. A research shows about 60% of people saying they like to make new friends through the sport. The Chinese Flying Disc Administrative Committee says about 500,000 people in China played flying disc last year, producing over 8,000,000 yuan.
How did flying disc get such great popularity in China in a short time? First, it is a team sport. It helps everyone quickly get to know each other. Second, it is played with a flying disc, thrown by hand. It needs little or no body-touching so it helps avoid being angry and fighting. What' more, this sport allows people to enjoy it without spending a lot of time learning about the rules or skills.
The growing popularity has drawn attention of the Chinese government. In 2019, the Asia Oceanic Ultimate and Guts Championships was held in Shanghai. It is the first world match in this sport held in China. In July 2022, the General Administration of Sport decided China's first flying disc tournament starting in August and the final match to be held in May next year. The sport will certainly have a bigger home market going forward.
