Following the near-total wipeout of the sporting calendar in the first half of this year, Shanghai aims to host about 70 international and domestic sports events over the rest of 2022.



Most sports events in the city were postponed or cancelled in the first six months because of the Covid-19 outbreaks, Xu Bin, head of the city’s sports bureau, said in an interview with a Shanghai radio broadcaster today.



Most of the events slated for the second half of the year will be online, while some international competitions will basically involve domestic participants or foreign players who have been staying in China and meet all the requirements of the country’s Covid-19 policies.



For instance, the Shanghai Cup Chess Masters Open will be held in late September, the Shanghai Rowing Open in October, and the Shanghai International Marathon in late November.



The city has been making great efforts to resume sports events offline, Xu said, adding that two international sports organizations have announced they will upgrade or hold top-level events in their respective fields in the east China metropolis.



The International Skating Union has passed a resolution to hold the 2024 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, 2024.



The Rolex Shanghai Masters, an elite men’s tennis tournament, will be upgraded next year. It will be extended from one week to 12 days, with more prize money.



Source: Yicai