A table tennis match takes place at Wanda Plaza in Xinchang county, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided by Xinchang County Education and Sports Bureau]

Grassroots leagues and expanding public fitness facilities are bringing more residents into sport across Zhejiang, as China marked its 18th National Fitness Day on Aug 8.

The inaugural Zhejiang City Basketball League, or ZheBA, staged 487 games and drew 1.79 million spectators, directly generating more than 2.5 billion yuan ($370.51 million) in spending across culture, tourism, commerce, and sports.

The inaugural Wuyue Cup, or Zhejiang City Football League, attracted nearly 1 million spectators and generated more than 2.2 billion yuan in direct and indirect economic impact.

In one Wuyue Cup match, Jiaxing's Pei Hang scored the only goal in front of more than 20,000 home spectators, reflecting the league's emphasis on grassroots participation.

Zhejiang has incorporated public fitness facilities into urban renewal and rural vitalization, including old residential communities, spaces beneath bridges, waterfront corridors, and pocket parks.

By the end of 2025, the province had 3.40 square meters of sports space per person, while 45.5 percent of residents regularly took part in physical exercise.

Zhejiang had also built 119 urban and rural physical fitness monitoring sites, providing personalized exercise guidance to 239,000 people.