Hobbyists practice roller skating at a park in Zunhua City, north China's Hebei Province, Aug. 6, 2026. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)

　　TIANJIN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- In the mountainous areas of north China's Tianjin Municipality, hikers and cyclists are gathering to explore the natural beauty. More than 2,000 km away in Wanning, in south China's Hainan Province, paddleboarding has emerged as a popular new choice among young tourists.

　　Even as temperatures continue to rise across much of China, consumers' enthusiasm for sports shows no signs of decline. Driven by a boom in fitness and experience-oriented consumption, China's sporting goods market is rapidly expanding and upgrading, providing strong momentum for the growth of international sports brands in the country.

　　"Chinese consumers' demand for sports has in recent years expanded beyond clothing and equipment to service-oriented areas such as training, sporting events, spectating and community interaction," Yang Mulin, vice president of Decathlon China, told Xinhua, adding that the integration of sports with cultural and tourism offerings is creating sustained room for the company's growth.

　　As one of the earlier international sports brands to enter the Chinese market, Decathlon has operated in China for nearly four decades, witnessing the rise of mass fitness across the country.

　　Driven by major consumer markets including China, the company reported net sales of 16.8 billion euros in 2025, up 4.0 percent year on year, while net profit rose 16 percent to 910 million euros, marking continued rise in profitability.