Chinese sports officials and global experts gathered at the sports round-table meeting jointly launched by FORTUNE and Sports Illustrated magazines on May 16 and held discussions on a wide range of topics, from China's sports, Beijing Olympic Games to why the Chinese consumers love sports, the prospects of the development of China's domestic sports, and to NBA going global, enterprise partnership and sports, as well as the opportunities these issued have brought to transnational companies.

Sports industry is booming in China with the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games emerging as its most important engine. Along with the rapid development of athletic sports, various fields related to sports are all making tremendous headway.

The round-table meeting on sports is held to construct an international platform to observe China's sports, provide a perspective to understand China through sports, as well as offer China an opportunity to learn from the world, said Liu Peng, head of the State Administration of Sports in his keynote speech "China and Sports".

It is generally acknowledged by the foreign delegates to the roundtable that China's sports market has broad prospects and huge potential.

Adidas-Salomon's CEO Herbert Hainer said that marketing plays a very important role in foreign companies' entry into sports market of such a big country as China and more innovative ideas are needed.

A responsible person with an American consulting company held that the driving force of China's sports industry lies in Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. When China's sports industry sets off as a giant spaceship, it needs to be continually pushed ahead, therefore China is encouraging market with immense commercial opportunities for the sports enterprises across the world.

NBA Entertainment president and CEO Adam Silver said that NBA will continue its promotion of basketball game in China.

Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the United States Olympic Committee, offered suggestions for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, proposing enhancing mass participation, saving expenditure and cutting ticket prices.

The Fortune Global Forum in Beijing, scheduled from May 16 to 18, has attracted nearly 1, 000 senior delegates from global business, political and academic circles. The sports round-table meeting has been the first special meeting on that topic in the history of the forum.

By People's Daily Online