Nanjing 2014 Sport Initiation Programme

Nanjing 2014 Sport Initiation

Golf Initiation Programmes at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games – Legacy for our sport

As part of the Sport Initiation Programme during the YOG in Nanjing, the IGF ran various activities to showcase golf as a new Olympic sport on the occasion of its first appearance back on the Olympic stage. The activities also engaged the local school children and school teachers who teach golf in Nanjing through a Teach the Teachers course.

This project allowed the IGF to reach out to the youth of the world present during the YOG, to local schools which teach golf and overall to the people of China, where golf is a growing sport.

The activities included Golf Initiation in Wanda Plaza in the Nanjing city centre consisting of a 4-day golf promotion involving a range of interactive activities with PGA coaches on-site providing a variety of skill and fun based challenges. These included demonstrations, coaching, games, skill challenges and competitions. A golf logistics company supplied the material for the interactive activities and provided a range of resources, products and equipment which was used as give-aways and prizes.

The IGF also organised visits by YOG golf athletes to 2 local schools which offer golf training programmes as part of their curriculum. This included some cultural performances, tours of the school facilities and opportunities for interaction between the YOG athletes and school students.

A Teach the Teachers course was also conducted at one of the two secondary schools and aimed at providing basic level coaching information to teachers to enable them to conduct golf activities at schools. Teachers were provided with some coaching resources and modified golf equipment to then enable their schools to commence a golf programme.

Since the YOG, this IGF school golf initiative during the Youth Olympic Games was discussed during the 2015 CGA Junior Training and Tournament National Conference. Overall, it proved very successful with all the schools commencing golf activities and has led to the local Nanjing Golf Association (NGA) adopting the IGF YOG model. The NGA has worked with the Nanjing Education Committee (which is part of the Schools Department) and the Nanjing State Sports Bureau to conduct some Teach the Teachers courses and provide schools with equipment and visits from golf coaches. This has resulted in more than 38 elementary and middle schools in Nanjing establishing a golf programme since the YOG. In addition to the training activities conducted at schools, the NGA operate a Training Centre with a 45-bay driving range and are providing free access to the range for students and schools that show potential.

We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. To learn more, read the relevant section of the applicable Privacy Policy. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies.