Xia Songhao (C) cheers up his students on the girls' football team prior to a training session in Shawan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

URUMQI -- The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has established 1,214 national sports-focused schools specializing in football, basketball, and other sports, significantly boosting youth sports development, China's Ministry of Education said on Wednesday.

The report outlined a strategy of developing specialized sports programs across Xinjiang, China's largest region. In the northern part of the region, schools emphasize equestrian sports, winter activities, and table tennis. Schools in the east focus on acrobatics and other strength-based sports, while in the south, football, basketball, and volleyball take priority.

Students take a speed skating course at the Shuixigou middle school in Urumqi County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Dec. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Li He)

Altay, in northern Xinjiang, has become a hub for skiing due to its favorable climate and high-quality snow. Since 2014, the city has introduced free skiing lessons in its primary and secondary schools, effectively shifting physical education classes to the ski slopes.

At Altay No. 3 Middle School, students can view the nearby Jiangjunshan Ski Resort from their classrooms. The school offers ice and snow sports electives, including roller skating, alpine skiing, and cross-country skiing, taking advantage of the region's abundant winter resources.

"Our sports curricula are designed to foster interest, improve skills, and enhance physical fitness," said Sheng Guojing, principal of the school. "We focus on teaching and practicing, to ensure more students to safely compete with each other."

The entire Altay region now has 19 schools specializing in skiing and other eight focusing on ice skating, hosting an average of 16 youth competitions annually in these sports.