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Young sports talents in Sanya are lining up and seeking to gain recognition on the domestic and international stages.

Young sports talents to watch out for the future

Sprinter – Lin Jinxia

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Rising sports talents include the young sprinter Lin Jinxia, who is now a student from Tsinghua University. Lin, who hails from Fanli Village in Tianya District, ranked first nationwide in the 400-meter dash with a personal best of 55.88 seconds during National College Independent Enrollment.

At the recent 2019 Capital University Student Track and Field Meet, Lin Jinxia bagged four golden medals in the women’s 400 meter, the women’s 400-meter hurdle finals, the women’s 4-by-100-meter relay, and the women’s 4-by-400-meter relay.

Table Tennis Player – Lin Shidong

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Lin Shidong is only 14 years old, but he has some stunning achievements. This April, he won two trophies in the U-15 men’s single and men’s group events at the 2019 Italy Youth Open.

Back in April 2018, he claimed the champion title in the men’s singles at the 2018 National Table Tennis Championship (U-13 Group) and in the National Junior Table Tennis Championship, making him the first person in Hainan to win the championship. He then was selected to represent the national team twice in international competitions including the 2018 World ITTF Croatian Junior Tour and the 2018 World ITTF Tour Hungarian Youth Open. He earned well-deserved honors in both contests.

Football Player – Ha Jinlei

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Keep an eye on this promising 15-year-old football player Ha Jinlei. He broke into the national school football team (junior high school group), becoming Hainan’s first high school student to be selected for the national team.

Improved sports facilities to cultivate promising talents

Construction of a large new sports center is underway at the Baopo Xincheng Area, in Sanya’s Jiyang District.

The sports facility will include a 40,000-seat sports stadium, a 12,000-seat sports hall, a 4,000-seat swimming gym, a sports park, and a 2,000-square-meter public fitness square where residents will be able to take part in various physical activities.

The project is a key initiative aimed at boosting the city’s sports development, as part of a campaign by the city government to develop Sanya’s “soft power.” The campaign is part of a larger effort to develop Sanya into a world-class coastal tourist city.