The spectacular opening gala of Beijing Olympic Games fuelled the whole nation's sports passion and now Chinese netizens are proposing to make Aug. 8, the Games' opening day, as the country's National Sports Day.

The government could designate Aug. 8 as the National Sports Day to commemorate Beijing's hosting of the 29th Olympiad and further encourage the nationwide sports movement, the Chongqing Business Daily Wednesday quoted a netizen named "Bo 8341" as saying.

Hundreds of netizens responded to the proposal soon, mostly in the positive, followed by more than 30 websites and newspapers picking up the proposal story and digging out more through contacting experts and authorities.

Some netizens also voiced objections saying people supporting the proposal was "making a fuss over a trifle".

"We are proud of hosting the Olympic Games and now the whole nation is enthusiastic about sports. But I still think it's unnecessary to make the opening day as the National Sports Day," said a netizen from Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

The Chongqing Business Daily then released a written proposal on its website on Wednesday, calling the country's people to support the idea.

"We propose making Aug. 8 as National Sports Day, by which we would prove to the rest of the world what the Olympics has left us is spiritual treasure that would be inherited for generations," it said.

An official from the General Administration of Sport of China said he appreciated netizens' attention about the country's sports cause and that the proposal would be studied seriously after the Olympic Games, the China News Service reported.

Yu Dan, a woman professor from Beijing Normal University, said in an interview with the China News Service said she believed it was a good idea to make Aug. 8 as National Sports Day.

"If we have the National Sports Day, Chinese people may have more awareness of keeping fitness and spreading sports movement," Yu said.

Mao Yulin, a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), also proposed in March to make Aug. 8 as a sports festival.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)