Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

"Although they don't profit from blocking the road, their sporting activities still disrupt traffic and force vehicles to change their routes."

Recently, a group of middle-aged men and women have been setting up a temporary badminton court almost every evening on a section of Xingjiaqiao Road South between Sichuan Road North and Hengshui Road in Hongkou district. Many drivers who usually take the road have had to change their routes to avoid the court. The badminton players told the Youth Daily that they had to create the court themselves because there aren't any sports venues around. A reporter toured the neighborhood and found that nearby public playgrounds are always full and the nearby fitness clubs charge membership fees that most residents cannot afford.