A sky diving base in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Despite headwinds brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, the sports industry in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province has posted a marked increase in scale in recent years as the city expands the footprint of three niche segments - sports manufacturing, sports service and sports tourism.

In 2022, Taizhou-headquartered Zhejiang Natural Outdoor Goods Co, a leading inflatable mattress supplier in China, was honored as a national "little giant" company in recognition of its high growth potential, advanced technology, and strong market competitiveness.

Zhejiang Xiaxiang Sports Goods Co, another company from Taizhou, has emerged as a dominant player in hockey equipment. Hockey products produced by the company currently command more than 90 percent of the domestic market share.

Zhejiang Vista Sports Goods Co, a helmet manufacturer from the city, has seen its market share in the world surge to 20 percent.

Meanwhile, steady growth has been seen in training services related to emerging sports like fencing, equestrian and taekwondo, as well as tourism-driven outdoor sports such as sky diving and rafting.

Following the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the popularity of snow and ice sports has ballooned significantly in the country, with Taizhou being no exception. The ski resort located in the city's Tiantai Mountain has been welcoming an increasing number of visitors since the Games.

Hong Xindong, president of Taizhou Sports Industry Federation, said that he is upbeat about the growth of the city's sport industry, citing positive factors such as the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, the growing enthusiasm for exercising in the wake of the pandemic, and the issuance of consumption coupons by the local government.

"The 'golden' period has arrived for the development of Taizhou's sports industry, which is expected to achieve a huge leap forward this year," Hong said.