A robot plays football at the sports services exhibition hall of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, on September 10, 2026. Photo: Li Hao/GT

At the sports services exhibition hall of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), a visitor serves a ping-pong ball. Behind him, a large screen shows the ball's trajectory with millimeter-level precision - technology that can be used to review disputed calls. 

The system is China's self-developed hawk-eye sports artificial intelligence (AI) system, which uses 10 high-speed cameras.

Developed by Beijing Rigour Technology Co, the hawk-eye sports AI system has drawn a lot of attention at this year's event. "It has been certified by multiple international sports bodies, it is used in top international events, and has been exported to more than 20 countries and regions," a company technician told the Global Times. 

Other exhibitors also brought cutting-edge products such as smart water treatment systems and AI pool management solutions for overseas venues, some of which have been rolled out at scale. The common thread is that China is moving on from exports of equipment and now offers high-standard services and complete, integrated solutions.

Suooter Technology, a Chinese shooting sports equipment company, showcased its independently developed optical electronic target system, which has received level II certification from the International Shooting Sport Federation, making it the first brand in Asia and the fourth globally to obtain such certification, Chen Jiping, a product manager at the company, told the Global Times.

"We brought the latest archery electronic targets and training system to CIFTIS, with buyers from Japan, South Korea and Morocco expressing strong interest," said Chen.

Original Chinese sports intellectual property (IP) is also going global. Qu Xiangdong, founder of the Ultra Gobi races, told the Global Times that Ultra Gobi has begun its overseas expansion. 

The Ultra Gobi race was launched in 2006. By 2025, it had attracted more than 100,000 participants globally, with teams from many internationally known universities. It is now one of China's largest outdoor events, according to People's Daily. In the race, participants cross 121 kilometers over four days and three nights in the Gobi Desert in Northwest China.

"The first stop will be AlUla in Saudi Arabia, in January next year; the second will be Kilimanjaro in Africa," said Qu, who hopes the project's overseas expansion will become a real case of a Chinese original sports IP going global as a services trade export. 

Many Chinese participating companies said CIFTIS has become a key platform for sports services going global. This year, the fair set up an overseas expansion service zone for the first time, offering one-stop solutions covering legal, accounting and cross-border logistics services.

While Chinese companies are using CIFTIS to accelerate their global expansion, 41 overseas companies and institutions from 13 countries and regions are also attending the sports services exhibition to explore the China market.

Decathlon is one of the exhibitors. "As a national and international services trade platform, CIFTIS gives companies a valuable stage to showcase service innovation, exchange industry trends and build partnerships. For the sports sector, its real value lies in deepening connections between consumption, services and industrial resources," Michelle Zhao, director of corporate media and public communication at Decathlon China, told the Global Times.

"China is no longer just a consumer market for Decathlon - it has become a key source of product and business-model innovation, and an integral part of our global innovation system. Sports consumption in China is shifting from selling products alone to creating experiences, services and industry ecosystems," said Zhao.