Zhang Chenhao, an entrepreneur from Shanghai, is a sports enthusiast. He enjoys fitness, rugby, basketball and other sports, and has long been engaged in the promotion of emerging sports and youth sports programmes.

His project focuses on youth sports participation and urban community building. The project builds a youth sports system integrating campus outreach, event organisation and community operation. It delivers training sessions and competitions themed on flag football, creating spaces for emotional release, social connection and identity-building. It also explores pathways for integrating emerging sports into urban public spaces, so as to boost the coordinated development of youth sports culture and urban vitality.

According to Zhang Chenhao, flag football carries a far lower risk of injury than traditional rugby and basketball. As a team-based sport, it is highly suitable for children and meets parents’ expectations. Zhang’s team has brought featured flag football courses to kindergartens, primary and secondary schools across Shanghai. Meanwhile, it offers training and corporate team-building activities for adults, and organises inter-club matches. The team also encourages parents to post content on social media platforms to help promote flag football.

“Flag football brings kids together to play and enables parents to communicate with one another. That is the charm of sports,” he remarked.