Yunnan University adds 16 new emerging sports courses

In the fall semester of 2024, the School of Physical Education at Yunnan University, or YNU – located in Kunming, capital of Southwest China's Yunnan province – will introduce 16 new emerging sports courses.

The courses will include pickleball, outdoor training, dodgeball, uniball, handball, flag football, dragon and lion dancing, line dancing, frisbee throwing, fitness and body shaping, swimming, darts, shuttlecock, mini-marathons, orienteering and ethnic sports dances.

The addition of these diverse courses is said to mark a significant breakthrough in the YNU sports curriculum. It aims to cultivate in students an interest in sports while also boosting their physical health.

Outdoor training, one of the new courses, is an innovative physical education model that involves a series of outdoor activities and challenging exercises – conducted individually or in groups, utilizing natural terrain or man-made facilities.

Line dancing, another new addition, is a branch of global fitness activities. It can be performed both collectively and individually. Over more than a century, it has absorbed various forms, such as Latin, jazz, tap, hip-hop and modern dance.