Dezhou, a city in East China's Shandong province, has emerged as a powerhouse of the sports industry, boasting a robust cluster of over 2,700 sports enterprises.

Dezhou's prowess in sports equipment manufacturing is evident in its remarkable track record. The city's products have graced nearly 2,000 domestic and international competitions, including seven Olympic Games. This dominance is further underscored by Dezhou's commanding 90 percent share of the market for national-level sporting events.

But the city's expertise extends beyond competitive sports, with its commercial fitness equipment capturing over 70 percent of the domestic market and reaching over 170 countries and regions.

Laoling city excels in crafting competitive sports equipment, while Ningjin county shines in the realm of commercial fitness devices. Meanwhile, Qingyun county has established itself as a leading producer of outdoor exercise gear. This strategic division of labor, coupled with a spirit of collaboration, has enabled Dezhou to achieve remarkable success in the global sports market.

The city has also cultivated a vibrant ecosystem of sporting events, fostering a synergy between urban development and sporting excellence.

Over the past two years, Dezhou has hosted over 200 high-caliber national and provincial sporting events. These competitions have not only elevated the city's profile within the sports industry but have also spurred public engagement and consumer spending, generating an estimated 9 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) in related industrial output over the past two years.

In addition, Dezhou has prioritized the development of comprehensive fitness infrastructure, investing heavily in building sports parks, fitness trails, and football fields and making physical activity accessible to all.

This emphasis on grassroots participation has yielded impressive results. In 2023 alone, Dezhou organized nearly 300 city-level and over 1,000 district and county-level public fitness events, attracting over 550,000 participants.