The sun is out, the sky is blue and you feel like doing some exercise. You ask your friends but no-one is available. In other countries this would spell out almost certain boredom but in China things are very different. Perhaps it is because everyone in China is an only child or perhaps Chinese people are happy to amuse themselves, but this big country is definitely geared as much towards individual sports as team sports. Of course there are team games. Basketball, football and badminton to mention a few, are all very popular but you need people to organise them and people play them.

By Natasha Tucker

Since Shanghai has been declared safe and SARS  is a distant memory, people have ventured out to take up various forms of exercise. Apart from the well known individual sports such as running and swimming, long forgotten activities of kite flying and hula hoops are coming back into fashion.

Now that the weather is cooling and winter is approaching a whole new set of individual sports are emerging such as indoor rock climbing, skiing and snow boarding. And if the weather turn bad and forces you inside there are always computer and video games to play alone.

Maybe it is not that more people are involved with non-team sports because they are forced to, but because they choose to. Could it be as simple as in a country of limited space with a high number of people, perhaps it is the only chance to get away from it all and do something on your own for a change.

It could be argued that a person may feel a greater sense of achievement winning, playing or participating in something on an individual basis rather than sharing the glory of winning or misery of losing with a team.


As for the non-sporty people out there, there are still plenty of hobbies and pastimes that one can do alone. Knitting, reading, and listening to music to name but a few. And of course in Shanghai whether part of a team or going as an individual there is always the sport of shopping