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As the most popular sport in the world, football (soccer) has long been closely related to politics and the economy. In China, significant growth and changes in economy and power impacted the development of the football market and the Chinese Super League (CSL) as a new product. By adopting the theoretical framework of Giulianotti's 'new political economy of football', this article explores the CSL's brief history, the policies and the strategies of football development in China and analyses the relationship between the CSL and its political economy context. The conclusion of this study indicates that the development of the CSL was largely impacted by its political economy environment, including the state and local government, the Chinese Football Association (CFA), the media, private companies, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has overlooked the influence of non-mega sport events on local residents' perceptions of quality of life and their attitude toward the hosting of events; in particular, there is a major research void in understanding residents' opinions in Chinese cities that are making escalated efforts in staging small to medium size sport events. This study examined the relationships among the perceived impacts of sport event, quality of life, and event support of local residents at a marathon event in China. Findings revealed that perceived psychological and social impacts by local residents were found to be positively predictive of their quality of life and event support, perceived economic impact had no significant influence, perceived environmental impact was significant in facilitating residents' quality of life although it was not influential of their support for the event directly. Implications are discussed furtherly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on examining hockey development models in two different areas in China, Heilongjiang and Beijing. We employed a comparative case study and the concept of political economy and sport to analyze two developing models of hockey development in China. Findings indicated that Heilongjiang and Beijing have framed different strategies for hockey development with their own resources. The model of Heilongjiang is suitable for traditional hockey areas whereas Beijing's model is suitable for more developed cities in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on examining the Chinese professional hockey club in the Canadian Women's Hockey League, the Chinese national women's hockey team in the context of an emerging market for hockey, and the Chinese government's winter sports strategy. We employed a mix of critical feminist theory and the concept of institutionalization to break down the position and aims of women's hockey development in China. Data were analyzed through content analysis methods. Findings indicated that ice hockey development in China has framed the leveraging strategies for the success of the 2022 Winter Olympics with opportunities and multiple resources, and the government and private actors are trying to reduce the gaps of inequality by providing equal rights, increasing female players' payments, building girls' teams, and making national heroines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the dimensions of service quality in fitness clubs in China and examine their impact on customer satisfaction. In Phase I of the study, we collected qualitative data from online comments related to service quality in 30 Tera Wellness clubs in Shanghai (k = 6252). Conducting content analysis, we synthesized the information and identified preliminary themes and formulated measurement statements. Phase II implemented a series of quantitative research procedures to examine the measurement properties of statements developed in Phase I. Conducting exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling analyses based on responses of club members ( N = 533), we identified a total of 27 items in six dimensions: service recovery, service assurance, facility function, program operation, instructor quality, and staff performance. These factors significantly ( p < 0.05) predicted customer satisfaction with fitness clubs in China. The findings highlight the importance of high-quality service delivery, service recovery, and service assurance and pinpoint specific areas for improvement.