The 2026 Hope Project · ANTA Sports Growth Public Welfare Program activity documentary reveals how rural physical education is transforming.

ANTA SPORTS (02020.HK) is a key partner in this initiative, which saw 100 teachers and students from 13 provinces, including Anhui, Henan, Hebei, Shaanxi, and Fujian, gather in Qingtongxia City, Ningxia for training. The event, held in collaboration with the China Youth Development Foundation and the Min-Ning Cooperation Mechanism, included a physical education teacher training advanced class and the 2026 Hope Project · ANTA SPORTS Sports Meet.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Min-Ning cooperation. In May 2024, ANTA SPORTS launched a new three-year public welfare donation in Tongxin County, pledging over 50 million yuan from 2024 to 2026. Three years later, this public welfare effort has returned to Ningxia, aligning with the State Council's 2026 "Education Development 15th Five-Year Plan," which mandates at least two hours of daily comprehensive physical activity for primary and secondary school students and requires each student to master at least one sports skill.

Why are rural PE classes like "letting sheep graze"?

Many rural primary schools treat PE as a free period, lacking structured teaching. Teachers often struggle with a lack of professional training, leading to a "want to teach, can't teach, dare not teach" dilemma. Ren Xinzhao, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at ANTA SPORTS, noted that in 2018, even the running posture of participating PE teachers was incorrect, highlighting a widespread lack of foundational skills. Many schools lack specialized PE teachers, with subjects like Chinese and math teachers filling in, resulting in students simply being allowed to play freely.

Liang Shiqi, a Chinese teacher at Huanghu Primary School in Huangchuan County, Henan, manages physical activities despite not being a PE specialist. She felt powerless until attending two ANTA SPORTS training sessions, which equipped her with systematic teaching methods, course design, and injury prevention knowledge. "The training was intense but rich in content. I'll share what I learned with colleagues and apply it to daily PE classes," she said.

Xu Xianming, the only full-time PE teacher at Chengyuan Central Primary School in Zhenghe County, Fujian, oversees 267 students, mostly left-behind children from impoverished families. He single-handedly organized the school's first sports meet, securing resources and prizes. After three ANTA SPORTS training sessions, he advanced from a trainee to a lead teacher. The 70 frontline teachers in this advanced class, selected through rigorous assessments, share a common goal: bringing professional PE teaching back to rural classrooms and promoting local sports education development.

Turning a water bottle into a teaching tool for professional PE

With limited hardware in rural schools, the training focuses on "software" by providing practical methods. Courses include hands-on content like the ANTA SPORTS PE 3.0 manual, basic movement patterns, skill drills with music, sports-specific training (basketball, football, volleyball), recess teaching, and psychology applications. For equipment shortages, children's sports expert Liu Zhenyue designed a recess dance incorporating movements from nine sports, requiring no equipment. "This dance allows children to practice basic movements without relying on equipment, fostering interest and promoting physical development," Liu said.

Xu Yuan, a teacher at Dianshang Primary School in Wuji County, Hebei, said the dance fills a gap due to her school's lack of materials. Teachers found the training particularly useful for its adaptable methods. "Coaches taught us to use daily items like desks and water bottles for diverse sports teaching, enabling professional, fun, and structured lessons even with limited resources," Liang Shiqi noted. Li Zhipeng, a PE teacher at Guangwu Central Primary School in Qingtongxia, said the training will help him focus on cultivating students' interest in sports. Many teachers praised the gamified and music-based teaching methods, calling them a "standardized rural PE plan that can be implemented immediately without waiting for equipment."

Champions arrive, not just teaching skills

The training brought together world champions, retired athletes, university scholars, and fitness experts. Olympic volleyball champion Wei Qiuyue, figure skating world champion Chen Lu, former Chinese women's football captain Li Dongna, and former national basketball team player Zhang Qingpeng corrected students' serving, running, and shooting techniques. Wu Mengting, a fifth-grader from Shanyang County, Shaanxi, said she was nervous but happy to meet the national-level coaching team. Zhang Yixuan, from Luoyang, Henan, recalled Wei Qiuyue correcting her volleyball serve, calling it a "huge gain." Chen Yadong, from Guangwu, Ningxia, had his basketball shooting and layup techniques refined by Zhang Qingpeng. "My actions were not standard before, but now I know what to do," he said.

In champion classes, Wei Qiuyue shared her journey of perseverance. Zhou Yu, a fifth-grader, said she learned the spirit of the women's volleyball team, motivating her to never give up. A student asked, "Teacher, can I become an Olympic champion?" The response: "You'll have to study hard and practice more." Cheng Hongwei, a teacher from Jingning County, Gansu, noticed that after two days of training, children began exchanging contact information and discussing tactics with peers from other regions. "They made new friends, broadened their horizons, and improved their skills. This experience is invaluable," he said. Li Dongna emphasized that sports charity goes beyond teaching skills, conveying a resilient attitude towards facing challenges and setbacks.

From blood transfusion to blood production, nine years of dedication

Liang Shiqi still recalls the training film's line: "If a child is to grow into a towering tree, the teacher must be the soil that nurtures it." In 2017, ANTA SPORTS launched the Growth Public Welfare Program in partnership with the China Youth Development Foundation. Over nine years, it has reached 31 provinces, over 20,000 schools, benefiting more than 10 million teenagers and training 9,022 frontline rural PE teachers, making it one of China's most extensive and sustained rural sports welfare projects. The shift from equipment donations and facility construction to teacher training and curriculum development represents a move from "hardware blood transfusion" to "software blood production."

Ren Xinzhao has witnessed many students' lives transformed by the program. A graduate of the ANTA SPORTS Hope Class, from a remote Yunnan village, overcame psychological barriers to study in Northeast China. A rural girl passionate about painting, after participating in a research trip, picked up her brush again and was admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts six months later. "Public welfare is not a temporary trend. Only long-term persistence can reveal its educational value," Ren said. While changes in primary school students may not be immediately visible, the foundation laid through professional sports and cross-regional experiences will support their long-term growth.