The deterioration in fitness levels has been highlighted by a number of tragically young deaths. In November, Chen Jie, a 21-year-old student, died of cardiac arrest as he finished the Guangzhou Marathon. A few days later, a sophomore at Shanghai Donghua University died at the finishing line of a 1-km physical test, and in December, a student at Shanghai Sanda University died after fainting during a basketball class.

"The deterioration in the physical constitution of college students has been ongoing for a long time," said Liu Bo, head of the sports department at Tsinghua University.

"If students were to begin running at elementary school and maintained the habit until university age, there would be far less chance of accidents such as these occurring," he said. "It is impossible to rapidly improve the cardiopulmonary functions of students who have lacked exercise since childhood when they enter university, so there is now a risk that things will go wrong when these students undertake strenuous exercise."

Academic performance

The increasing pressure to gain entry to the best higher education institutions is seen as one of the dominant factors leading to a lack of exercise among students.

The concept of academic excellence is drummed into Chinese children. The country's huge student population means that competition for places at the best universities is fierce. Only the very best performers in the gaokao stand a chance of being selected by the most prestigious colleges and enjoying the benefits that accrue from attending an elite establishment, such as easier access to the best jobs.

This has led to physical education playing second fiddle to academic pursuits, a common occurrence in elementary and high schools. "The increasing pressure on students to attend the very best colleges is the major reason," said Zhong Binglin, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and president of the Chinese Society of Education.

"When I was a school student, there was less pressure academically and society as a whole valued a more-rounded development mode for students, including their physical condition. But now the standards by which we judge schools and students have changed, becoming more score-oriented and leading students and teachers to spend more time improving examination results," he said.

A number of members of the CPPCC National Committee have called for reform of the gaokao selection criteria at the body's ongoing session.

Concerned observers say China should improve the physical fi tness of students and the promotion of sporting activities. Pictured are students at Youfu Xijie Primary School (top) in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, which is believed to be the cradle of the city’s volleyball players, as well as youngsters at Nanjing Sports School (bottom left, right) during training sessions. PHOTOS BY AN LINGJUN / FOR CHINA DAILY