May 2
My problem with the city is not so much in infrastructure, but the air we breathe. While the media attention is on Beijing and Shanghai most of the time, air quality in Chengdu just gets worse every year. In the latest Annual Report of Environment Development in China compiled by Friends of Nature, a Beijing-based NGO, Chengdu was listed fourth in the most polluted cities ranking.
All of the hype for two-time Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming’s professional debut was finally put out of the way on late night Saturday as the flyweight boxer recorded his first victory over Mexico’s Eleazar Valenzuela in a four-round match in the special administrative region of Macao.
A busy week began for David Beckham, who was recently appointed as Chinese football’s first-ever ambassador, at an elementary school yesterday in Beijing. The former England captain received gifts from schoolgirls, learned to write his nickname in Chinese calligraphy, and talked to media at a press conference in the school auditorium that was aired live on CCTV, the national broadcaster.
It's been discussed for very long that whether Zou Shiming, China's two time Olympics gold medalist, would pursue a career in professional boxing. The talks floated first after the Beijing Olympics and, again, after Mr.Zou successfully defended his gold medal in light flyweight last summer in London.
The news came out earlier this week that Zou is signed by Top Rank, a Las Vegas-based boxing promotion firm, and is preparing for his first pro fight this April in Macao.
With the new year in its infancy comes another season of action on the world’s tennis courts, and this year it seems there will be an exciting one ahead for fans of the sport.
The 2013 Women’s Tennis Association Tour (WTA) could be a wide open competition this year as there does not seem to be one player who will be dominant in the field. Of course the usual suspects such as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Agnieszka Radwanska will most certainly be attempting to claim as many of the majors as well as finish atop of the rankings by the end of the season.
The past several years has seen an influx of footballers from East Asia gracing the pitches of European leagues. From England’s Premier League to Germany’s Bundesliga, East Asian footballers have been impressing fans with their performances which have led some clubs to success.
One of the most well-known footballers from the region is former South Korean international Park Ji-sung who started his European tour with Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven. After winning a few titles with the Dutch side, he made a historic move to English Premier League side Manchester United. A few Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy later, he is recognized as the most decorated player from the Asian continent.
As the Diaoyu /Senkaku Islands dispute continues, runners in Shanghai are feeling the heat. On Sept 11, the Shanghai government decided to postpone the Shanghai International Marathon, a sporting event that Torey, a Japanese chemical firm, has been sponsoring for the past 16 years.
The local government may think by having a Japanese title sponsor, the marathon would not serve China's national interest and wouldn't make themselves look good in their positions jockeying before 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
The second Nike Festival of Sport (FoW) took place in Shanghai last weekend. Brash, loud and invariably crowded, the inaugural event had a very Chinese feel to its organisation and this time around, the global sports giant was hoping for an event that had the same buzz and without the chaos.
Situated on the car parks and astroturf pitches surrounding the Shanghai stadium, things certainly felt neater and more thought-out than what had been predicted and from an accessibility point of view, there certainly didn’t seem to be any problems. Everything was sign posted and there seemed to be a clear line of communication between event organisers and the people coming to see the various events.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China's top badminton player, Lin Dan accomplished what many had expected him to do years before when he stood atop the podium to collect the men's singles gold medal over his rival, Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei.
Four years later in London the man known as "Super Dan" found himself in the men's final again going up against the same opponent and once again the result was the same as the defending Olympic champion knocked off Lee in a thrilling final that should have at least made up for the debacle that happened in the women's doubles competition.
When 16-year-old Chinese swimming sensation Ye Shiwen stepped out of the pool and was draped with the gold medal after winning the women's 400-meter individual medley at the London Olympic Games last Saturday at the Aquatics Center, it should have been a moment for her to enjoy the spotlight as family and friends back in China celebrated her success.
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