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.
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.
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.
Another week of Asian Champions League action has gone by and once again Chinese clubs are on the verge of not having a presence in the continents premier club competition beyond the group stages. Fates have been sealed for two clubs, while the third has the daunting task of getting a result away from home on the last week of group matches.
The trials of former Chinese Football Association heads Xie Yalong and Nan Yong got underway in separate venues in Liaoning Province along with the trials of four former players with the now-defunct Shanghai International football club (and any other name that it had previously) for bribery.
The trials are the latest in a series of cases that have gone on this year in which former CFA officials, referees and one sports company were convicted and handed severe punishments for their crimes.
The football club that every follower of the Chinese Super League loves to hate (at least outside of Guangzhou), Guangzhou Evergrande, has been making the rounds in the media over the past month with rumors of signings and especially the supposed hiring of a new manager to replace their current one. However, there has been no confirmation nor denial on any of the moves that have been reported on various sites.
FC Barcelona, the club who plays the most beautiful football in the world, is building its success in China, and they're approaching the market in a way that no other club has done before.
Last month, Sandro Rosell, Barça's new president, was traveling in China with his colleagues. Unlike others, their trip was not about friendly games or cooperation with local clubs, but laying down guanxi with Chinese politicians and clenching a business deal with a giant Internet firm.
China Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande pulled off a feat that is very rare in football. The Guangdong Province based club have become the first team in China (probably Asia as well) to win the first division title after promotion from the second division. Looking back in football history German Bundesliga club FC Kaiserslautern seem to be the only other club to pull this off back in 1998.
Birmingham City FC may not be a well-known team for most people in China, but most should know the name Carson Yeung(楊家誠). The Hong Kong businessman has been in the headlines for the past few years as he attempted to purchase the Midlands club back in 2007 followed by his successful acquisition in 2009. The former barber became another name in the slew of foreigners who have bought into English football clubs. Now, Yeung is back in the news for reasons not dealing with football.
At least two football tournaments were cancelled in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region following last month's knife attacks and explosions in China's far west.
The two tournaments, which are scheduled to take place in August and October in Urumqi and Artux, were called off by the local party committees due to security concerns.
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