Sports Law of the PRC — Full English Translation (2016 Amendment)

Table of Contents

Chapter I — General Provisions

Article 1 — This Law is enacted for the purposes of promoting the development of sports, enhancing the physical fitness of the people, raising the level of sports performance, and promoting the construction of socialist material and spiritual civilization.

Article 2 — The state shall implement a people-centered concept of development, take the development of sports for all as the foundation, prioritize the protection of the people’s health, and promote the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of sports.

Article 3 — The state shall uphold the combination of sports for all and competitive sports. The state shall encourage and support participation in sports activities and shall protect the lawful rights and interests of sports participants.

Article 4 — The sports administrative department under the State Council shall be responsible for sports work throughout the country. Other relevant departments under the State Council shall administer sports work within the scope of their respective functions. The sports administrative departments of the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for sports work within their respective administrative regions.

Article 5 — The state shall implement the physical exercise standards and the physical fitness monitoring system. Citizens shall have the right to participate in sports activities in accordance with the law.

Article 6 — The state shall encourage and support sports scientific research, technological innovation and the cultivation of sports talents, and shall promote sports publicity and education.

Chapter II — Sports for All

Article 7 — The state shall implement the National Fitness Program, formulate the National Fitness Implementation Plan, and promote the extensive development of national fitness activities.

Article 8 — Local people’s governments at all levels shall provide public sports facilities for citizens to participate in national fitness activities, and shall ensure that citizens have access to basic public sports services.

Article 9 — Public sports facilities shall be open to the public and shall provide convenience for the masses to carry out sports activities. Public sports facilities shall be open to students, the elderly and persons with disabilities free of charge or at preferential rates.

Article 10 — State organs, enterprises, public institutions and other organizations shall organize various forms of fitness activities for their staff members.

Article 11 — Trade unions, communist youth leagues, women’s federations, disabled persons’ federations and other public organizations shall, in light of their respective characteristics, organize members and the masses to carry out national fitness activities.

Article 12 — Schools shall organize various forms of extracurricular sports activities and carry out extracurricular training and sports competitions to ensure that students have one hour of sports activities on campus every day.

Chapter III — Competitive Sports

Article 13 — The state shall promote the reform of competitive sports, encourage and support athletes to improve their sports performance, and shall standardize and regulate professional sports.

Article 14 — The state shall train competitive sports talents, strengthen the construction of sports teams, and ensure the effective training of athletes.

Article 15 — The state shall implement a technical grade system and a sports competition ranking system. Athletes, referees and coaches shall comply with the rules of competition and sports ethics.

Article 16 — The organizing of national comprehensive sports games shall be subject to the approval of the sports administrative department under the State Council.

Article 17 — The use of prohibited substances and methods in sports shall be strictly prohibited. Anti-doping authorities shall strengthen the administration and inspection of prohibited substances.

Article 18 — The state shall protect the lawful rights and interests of athletes, strengthen the cultural education and employment security of athletes, and provide proper placement for retired athletes.

Chapter IV — Sports Industry

Article 19 — The state shall develop the sports industry, formulate sports industry development plans, improve the sports industry system, and promote the development of sports consumption.

Article 20 — The state shall encourage and support the operation and management of sports activities, sports competitions and sports performances, and shall regulate the sports market.

Article 21 — The state shall implement a sportslottery system. Sports lottery public welfare funds shall be used exclusively for the development of sports and social welfare undertakings.

Chapter V — Safeguard Conditions

Article 22 — The people’s governments at or above the county level shall incorporate sports undertakings into their national economic and social development plans and shall include sports funds in their fiscal budgets.

Article 23 — The state shall encourage enterprises, public institutions, public organizations and other organizations as well as individuals to make donations and sponsorships for sports undertakings.

Article 24 — The planning and construction of public sports facilities shall comply with the relevant state provisions, and the land for public sports facilities shall be guaranteed in accordance with the law.

Chapter VI — Legal Liability

Article 25 — Where any entity or individual commits fraud and violates sports discipline and sports rules in sports competitions, the sports administrative department shall impose sanctions in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 26 — Where any entity or individual uses prohibited substances or methods in sports, the sports administrative department shall impose sanctions in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 27 — Where any entity occupies or damages public sports facilities in violation of the provisions, the sports administrative department shall order corrections within a specified period and shall impose a fine in accordance with the law.

Article 28 — Where any staff member of the sports administrative department abuses his or her power, neglects his or her duties, or engages in malpractice for personal gain, he or she shall be subject to administrative sanctions in accordance with the law. Where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.

Chapter VII — Supplementary Provisions

Article 29 — The specific measures for the implementation of this Law shall be formulated by the sports administrative department under the State Council.

Article 30 — This Law shall enter into force as of October 1, 1995. The Sports Law of the People’s Republic of China adopted at the 15th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress on August 29, 1995, shall enter into force as of October 1, 1995. This version incorporates the amendments adopted at the 24th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on November 7, 2016.

Danica Mai

Danica Mai is the Managing Director of Dan Young Business Consultancy and an accountant with over 14 years of experience providing tax, accounting, and legal services to foreign individuals and companies in China. Her practice focuses on company registration, bookkeeping and accounting, work visas, and tax advisory for foreign-invested enterprises. Since March 2023 she has served as Vice Chair of the SME Forum of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, South China Chapter. Known for meticulous attention to detail and clear, ethical communication, she is committed to delivering practical, results-driven solutions for international clients entering and operating in the Chinese market.