The Chinese Curling Association has hosted its first workshop to promote the sport in the build-up to Beijing 2022 ©World Curling

The Chinese Curling Association has organised its first workshop to develop curling and maximise the exposure of the sport in the country ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Members of the World Curling Federation, the World Academy of Sport and the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee were in attendance at Beijing's Shougang Park.

Attendees looked at ways to increase participation and to improve the quality of the game from grassroots to elite level.

The workshop was arranged as part of China's drive to have 300 million people involved in winter sports by the start of the Games. 

The Chinese Curling Association has already implemented a number of programmes and activities in China through governmental, education and sport organisations, with a particular focus on getting curling into Chinese schools.

Chinese curling star Wang Bingyu was recently announced as the programme director for the sport at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images
Chinese curling star Wang Bingyu was recently announced as the programme director for the sport at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games ©Getty Images

“The upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Beijing presents an unprecedented opportunity for curling to reach a large population of people, many of those who are being exposed to curling for the first time,” said Scott Arnold, World Curling’s head of development.

“With the help of our new partner, the World Academy of Sport and the Chinese Curling Association, we were able to bring a large number of stakeholders together to lay the groundwork for such development. 

"A lot of work lies ahead of us but I am confident curling will benefit from this inaugural workshop.”

In a further boost for curling in China, Wang Bingyu, the 2009 women's world champion and Vancouver 2010 Olympic bronze medallist, has been appointed as programme director for curling at the Games.