Abstract: In the historical process of China’s path to modernization, promoting sports development on China’s path to modernization holds a unique position and role. The initiative characteristics of the sports development on China’s path to modernization are manifested as follows: Strong organizational guarantee under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, a theoretical foundation laid by Xi Jinping’s important discourse on sports, established clear long-term goals from the strategic layout of building a sports power, strong support from extensive participation of the people, the legal system of sports promoted and guaranteed sports development effectively, built a sports development model with Chinese characteristics based on national conditions, sustained development vitality brought by open sports exchanges to international communication, and consolidated foundation of sports culture from the exchange and mutual learning of human civilization. Enhancing the historical initiative of sports development on China’s path to modernization requires, at the theoretical level, adhering to the important discourse on sports by Xi Jinping as guidance; at the institutional level, giving full play to the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics to lead sports development; from the industry standpoint, enhancing the vitality of sports consumption and promoting high-quality development of the sports industry; in terms of science and technology, developing new quality productive forces suitable for local conditions to empower sports innovation; at the talent level, consolidating the talent strategic high ground for sports development on China’s path to modernization; from the cultural aspect, vigorously inheriting and promoting the confident and striving spirit of Chinese sportsmanship.