Olympics boost popularity of table curling in Ningbo

Students at Luotuo Experimental School in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province play table curling on Feb 7. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in full swing, table curling is growing in popularity in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province.

Chu Jianbiao from Ningbo's Ninghai county is one of the inventors of table curling products. In 2008, Chu invented a special table which enables people to play a game similar to curling without the need for ice. Since then, the game has been prompted to more than 10 provinces and cities across the nation, including Beijing, Shanghai and Sichuan, attracting over a million players.

Due to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, more people than ever are playing the sport. The surging popularity has also helped improve the sales of table curling products. According to Chu, sales of such products in his factory have increased by more than 20 percent. 

Table curling is not just for adults - it's also popular among children.

A table curling competition was held on Feb 7 at Luotuo Experimental School in the city's Zhenhai district, attracting more than 30 students.

The game was introduced to students by the school in 2018, and in 2020 the school became the first school in the country to offer a table curling training event, becoming a major part of the school's physical education curriculum.

"The Beijing 2022 Olympics have given a boost to winter sports," said Zhou Yu, principal of Luotuo Experimental School, "We hope that more people will participate in table curling activities through this competition."