& shy; “The mainland has made rapid progress goalball, and the site conditions are also very superior. The two sides have their own advantages in gateball techniques and can communicate with each other.” On 17th, during the 2016 China gate ball open (Fuzhou Station) and the 10th cross-strait gate ball Invitational Tournament in Fuzhou, Fujian province, Chen Xialu, a member of Taiwan’s Hualien Fuxiang team, told reporters. & shy; Goalball is a mass sports and fitness activity integrating fitness, entertainment, fun and friendship. The moderate amount of exercise is especially suitable for the middle-aged and the elderly, and is deeply loved by the middle-aged and the elderly. Since 2007, Fuzhou has held 10 consecutive Straits gate ball invitational competitions, which greatly stimulated their enthusiasm to actively participate in sports and fitness activities. & shy; In 2015, the first National Youth Games was held in Fuzhou, and the Strait Olympic Sports Center hosted the event for the first time after it was put into use. This year, the 10th competition is still held in the Strait Olympic Sports Center. & shy; It is understood that more than 200 players from 28 teams across the Taiwan Strait participated in this event, including 10 Taiwan teams. Lin Jinfu, the head of the Sports Association of the middle-aged and elderly people in Chinese Taipei, is the general manager of the Taiwan team. He has organized the Taiwan team to participate in the competition in Fuzhou many times. “through this platform, the middle-aged and elderly people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait can get to know each other and meet friends with the ball, promote friendship.” & shy; Chen Xialu, a member of Taiwan’s Hualien Fuxiang team, participated in the competition with her other two relatives and sisters. Her ancestral home in Fuzhou has been over seventy years old this year. “We are not suitable for the venue here. We have participated in several cross-strait gate ball invitational competitions in a row. The best result is to enter the top 16.” Chen Xialu said with a smile, however, the organization of events in Fuzhou is very thoughtful, and he will come to participate as long as his physical conditions permit in the future. & shy; He Amu, chairman of Fuzhou Gate Ball Association, told the reporter that in recent years, Fuzhou gate ball movement has developed rapidly, and many township streets have set up their own gate ball teams, the number of gate ball venues in counties and urban districts is also expanding. The newly completed Fuzhou elderly Sports Center and the Strait Olympic Sports Center have gate ball venues. & shy; “In addition to the urban area, Fuqing has 101 Gate courts, and Minqing also has 41 gate courts. According to the standard, these venues must reach a flat plot of at least 20 meters long and 15 meters wide.” He Amu said that the site used to be one of the biggest constraints for the extensive development of goalball. Now, with more and more venues, the popularization speed has also accelerated. At present, about two to thirty thousand people in Fuzhou often participate in goalball, there are also more than 300 teams.
