Up at the crack of dawn, and not home until the sun comes down. Such is life in rural China.

Even during the slack season when there is not much work in the fields, most people can hardly find anything to do other than gambling or chatting with friends and family at home.

Monotony and boredom are feelings constantly associated with rural life. A lack of entertainment and sports drains away the spirit of villagers, in the same way as financial difficulties drain away material satisfaction.

A sports program initiated by the State General Administration of Sport together with the National Development and Reform Commission will provide rural villagers with basic facilities for sports.

Starting from April, the program will invest 90 million yuan (US$11 million) in building cement-paved basketball courts and outdoor table tennis tables for villagers.

In fact, some villagers have already launched their own basketball clubs or tournaments in the past couple of years.

Some young villagers in central China's Henan Province organized a basketball competition involving several townships six years ago. Now the competition has developed into a popular local sports event including table tennis and Chinese chess.

Yet, the organizers are always struggling against a lack of money and apathetic attitudes from township or county authorities.

This move by the central government means not only financial support, but also a message to rural authorities that sport is important.

The fact that some events such as races with bags full of grains on shoulders and transplanting rice seedlings are items for national games for farmers gives an impression that rural villagers do not necessarily need or welcome such sports as basketball, swimming, table tennis or badminton.

But that is not the case. Most do not play these games because they do not have the facilities or opportunities.

The basketball clubs in Henan Province show that rural people will love these sports just as much as their urban counterparts if they are given the facilities and opportunities.

The campaign to build a new socialist countryside is high on the agenda of the central government for its 11th Five-Year Guidelines (2006-10).

Promoting sporting and cultural activities among farmers is as important as increasing the income of villagers and improving the environment.

A healthy body is a healthy mind.

Sports activities help develop a healthy lifestyle for rural villagers.

In the afore-mentioned Henan Province townships where more and more residents are taking part in basketball, table tennis and other sports, both as players and spectators, the number of villagers engaged in gambling has dropped dramatically.

So sport does matter in improving the quality of rural life.

(China Daily March 31, 2006)