BEIJING — Vice-Premier Liu Yandong on Feb 18 extended Spring Festival greetings to the athletes and coaches in national training camps and encouraged them to prepare well for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The vice-premier pointed out that there will be new challenges in Rio this summer and that the Chinese athletes must be fully prepared, try their best and carry forward Olympic spirit in Brazil.

Reiterating the “zero tolerance for doping,” Liu requested all the athletes to regard sportsmanship and discipline as a serious matter. She also asked the coaches to select players in fair ways.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong extended Spring Festival greetings to the athletes and coaches in national training camps in Beijing, Feb 18, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

Liu came to the national sports training center and watched the practice of the athletes from the national weightlifting squad, the national women’s volleyball team and the national gymnastic squad. Liu met with players, coaches, team staffs, and extended Lunar New Year’s greetings to all the sports people across the country.

Liu also called for a joint effort to promote the coordinative development of China’s competitive sports, mass sports, sports culture, and sports industry.