HOHHOT, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chilly wind cuts through the withered grass and howls as it sweeps over a semi-oval structure under which, surprisingly, the grass is still young and fresh.
Two football teams are having their game under a fabric dome, completely shielded against the freezing wind.
Thanks to the fabric sports complex located in Jinshan campus of Inner Mongolia Medical University, football players are able to carry out their training despite the harsh winter weather of Hohhot.
The fabric sports complex was constructed on Oct. 10 2017 by MetaSpace, the integrated solution provider of fabric structures. Being the largest of its kind, the complex covers 20,645 square meters with a length of 193 meters, a width of 106 meters and a height of 36 meters.
The outer layer features a Mongolian style design with blue patterns of clouds on a white surface, representing the good will. The complex provides a standard football court, 400-meter tracks as well as facilities for tennis, badminton, ping-pong, the long jump, the high jump and shot put, satisfying a range of athletic needs.
The government of Inner Mongolia seeks to up its game in football training after it being assigned in September 2014 to be the first pilot province for football reform and development in China.
The special grassland biome of the Inner Mongolia plateau is considered to be an invaluable resource for football training. However, during the winter, the weather there can be arid, windy and freezing cold which impose major limitations for football playing.
The fabric sports complex is the cost-effective solution for the challenges. The perimeters of the structure are designed to withstand Hohhot's worst snowstorm in 50 years, said Zhong Fan, the vice president of MetaSpace.
The complex is able to maintain a constant temperature and humidity inside while the anti-flare lighting and the air filtration and purification system ensure that players train in a well-lit and healthy environment. The construction of the facility can be done efficiently due to the lightweight of the fabric and the maintenance is assisted by the intelligent management system.
The fabric sports complex is an important step in the development of football training facility. It also provides a cost-effective way of construction that is more efficient and flexible.
