Efficiency and determinants of science and technology investment in Chinese competitive sports: a provincial DEA-Tobit analysis

These findings suggest that the main constraint on the effectiveness of S&T investment lies not in the quantity of resources but in their strategic configuration and conversion into athletic outcomes. Policy efforts should therefore shift from expanding investment scale toward optimizing resource orchestration and strengthening the linkage between scientific research and training practice to enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability of competitive sports development in China.