Elderly dancers come to blows over basketball
Print Edition
A BATTLE for the use of a basketball court — between a group of elderly dancers and young basketball players — has exposed loopholes in urban management.
A debate was sparked when a video showing a group of elderly people quarreling with young men went viral. Senior citizens could be seen lashing over the use of the basketball court in a local park. A heated argument became a fight.
Police confirmed the incident in Luoyang, a city in central China’s Henan Province.
“Some square-dancing elderly and a posse of basketball players had a quarrel, which broke into a fight, over the use of the basketball court on May 31,” police said. “They reconciled after the incident.”
The park later closed the court and provided another area for the elderly group, but public debate flared.
A number of Internet users defended the basketball players, saying that the elderly group crossed the line, not only by occupying the basketball court but also assaulting one of the young men. Others showed sympathy for the dancers, saying a lack of areas for square-dancing in cities was a major issue.
China’s aging population — the government predicts the elderly will account for about a quarter of the population by 2030 — highlights a need for rest and recreation facilities for senior citizens.
Square dancing is a major daily activity for older people but it has led to a spate of conflicts across the nation
In 2014, residents in a district in east China’s Zhejiang Province went toe to toe with a group of dancers by using loudspeakers to blast out music day and night to drown them in noise. A similar incident in neighboring Fujian Province last year ended up with police being called.
In 2014, Shanghai’s historic Luxun Park reopened to the public after renovation, drawing a large number of elderly dancers. Rival exercise groups tried to snap up dancing squares, creating chaos and fights in the park.
Annoying noise made by dancers has created many clashes, but experts say insufficient public space and poor management is to blame.
Yang Hongshan, of the public management school of Renmin University, said public spaces in China were typically built under economic restrictions, without catering to specific public needs.
“When public spaces fail to meet rising demand for rest and recreation, problems are bound to occur,” Yang said.
Liu Yaodong, of the public management department of Hubei University of Technology, said it was necessary for authorities to make scientific planning for leisure activities when developing cities.
“When designing public spaces, authorities should consider the status quo of urban recreational activities,” Liu said. “Authorities should reserve enough space for the future development of recreational activities.”
In September 2015, four central government bodies, including the Ministry of Culture, issued a joint circular, asking local governments to utilize existing public space to accommodate public leisure activities. It also said that more public cultural venues and stadiums should open for free and that square-dancing should be included in grassroots management systems.
Gu Jun, a sociologist at Shanghai University, said the government should create local social organizations to manage square-dancing.
“Shanghai has already started piloting such programs, with the government issuing favorable policies to support the founding and operation of such organizations,” Gu said.
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