Emergency numbers, Medical first aid: 120, Fire alarm: 119

Medical first aid: 120

Police-reporting service center of Beijing Bureau of Public Security: 110

Fire alarm: 119

Query of telephone numbers: 114

You needn't worry about personal unfamiliarity with Beijing since we'll be constantly at your side and always at your service!

Please continue to pay attention to the column of "Inspector Service" or write your comments or suggestions on the "Inspector Message Board".

Transport service in beijing

Transport tips -- In addition to the buses, subways and city light rails, the taxis are also available in Beijing. Taking a taxi has a common name of "Da Di" in Beijing. The cheapest price for a taxi ride is 10 yuan and the price following the 3-km taxi ride is 2 yuan/km. Don't forget to keep your invoice. In case you leave any articles aboard, the invoice can help you find the taxi drivers.

Obstacle-free service -- For the sake of welcoming the Olympic Games, all the municipal authorities of Beijing Municipal Government are sparing no efforts to reconstruct the obstacle-free facilities in Beijing, including the obstacle-free buses, bus stops, slopes, bathrooms and blind roads across the whole city. If you or your family members traveling along are the spectators with special demands, including the old, the young, the sick, the disabled and the pregnant, you may leave the marks on the reservation sheets for Olympic tickets, and then you'll receive one free copy of the Guide to the Obstacle-free Information Service of the Olympic and the Paralympic Games. You're reassured to watch the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

Consumption in beijing: The currency in common use of Beijing is RMB

RMB know-how -- The currency in common use of Beijing is RMB. Prior to your visit, don't forget to have a basic knowledge of RMB. RMB has ten surface values altogether, including 100 yuan, 50 yuan, 20 yuan, 10 yuan, 5 yuan, 2 yuan, 1 yuan, 5 jiao, 2 jiao and 1 jiao (with the attached pictures).

Exchange rate know-how -- In Beijing, you can exchange your national currency to RMB at the Bank of China. The exchange rate often varies according to the market conditions. The following exchange rates are just for your reference.

100USD=770RMB

100 EUR =1040RMB

100GBP=1500RMB

100HKD=98 RMB

100 AUD=640RMB

100 JPY=6.5RMB

100 KRW=0.8RMB

100 Swiss Francs=630RMB

100 SGD =500RMB

100 CAD=685RMB

100 NZD =570RMB

100MOP=96RMB

100THB=22RMB

Credit card service -- The swiping services are available at most of the consumption places like the large shopping malls or dining halls of Beijing. However, cash shall be carried along during your visit to the small stores or restaurants. In the course of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympics, as the payment card provider to provide the Olympic services, Visa starts the Visa Service Center (VSC) to provide the multi-linguistic emergency services and everyday assistance for the card holders. Within the Olympic venues and non-competition venues, including the International Press Center, the International Broadcast Center and the Olympic Village, the ATM network and POS machines are installed to facilitate the RMB withdrawal by domestic and foreign spectators.

Communications services for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

During the 2008 Olympic Games, as the sole partner of the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee in terms of mobile communications services, China Mobile, through the GSM/GPRS 900/1800 dual-frequency network and the WLAN network, will provide all mobile communications services for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

What roaming services are included in international mobile telecommunication?

(1) Voice International Roaming Service:

Dialing Procedures:

Dialing local telephones in China Directly dial the regional area code + the fixed telephone number, or directly dial the mobile phone number
Dialing international fixed telephones Dial 00 + national code + regional code + telephone number
Dialing international mobile telephones Dial 00 or plus sign(+) + national code + mobile phone number

Tips:

When dialing fixed telephones in China, please add 0 before the regional code. For instance, you shall dial 010 for Beijing, 020 for Guangzhou and 021 for Shanghai. If you dial the telephones of countries or regions other than mainland China, you must use an international prefix such as 00 or the + sign.

International calling charges still apply when voice calling between two mobile phones accessible to the international roaming services within the same country or region. For more information about international roaming charges, please call your national mobile telecommunications operator.

(2) International short-message service (SMS):

After editing the contents of short messages, customers shall enter within the column of sender number: the international prefix (00 or plus sign (+)) + national code + user mobile number, then you can send international short messages.

Tips:

1. If China Mobile and its roaming partner haven't initialized international short-message service, it's impossible to exchange international short messages with the customers of aforesaid roaming partners.

2. In some countries and regions, telecommunication operators only provide single-direction international short-message service. In other words, you can send international short messages to the customers of above telecommunication operators, but are unable to receive international short messages from them. For more details, please call the Beijing customer service hotline of China Mobile -- (+8610) 10086 or talk to a customer representative in a China Mobile service hall.

(3) GPRS international roaming service:

If China Mobile and its roaming partner have initialized GPRS international roaming service, the customers of aforesaid roaming partner can gain access to the network of China Mobile and use the GPRS international roaming service.

How to use the mobile phone you've brought from abroad in Beijing?

(1) If foreign spectators wish to directly use the phone numbers assigned by their domestic telecommunication operators, they should initialize international roaming service with their local provider before their entry to China.

Foreign spectators shall initialize international roaming services of their mobile phone numbers with their domestic mobile telecommunication operators. Additionally, your domestic mobile telecommunication operator shall sign the agreement on international roaming services with China Mobile. Your international roaming service charges will be collected according to the applicable charging rates as specified by your domestic mobile telecommunication operator.

(2) If foreign spectators enter China with their domestic mobile phones, they can buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in Beijing to enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile.

If your domestic operator and China Mobile haven't signed the roaming agreement, the international roaming service will be unavailable through your domestic phone number. If you wish to use your own phone from home, make sure to bring a compatible GSM/GPRS 900/1800 dual-frequency mobile phone (the operator's customized mobile phone on the unlocked network). You may purchase the pre-paid "Easy-Own" SIM phone cards and recharge cards provided by China Mobile to enjoy convenient mobile telecommunication services provided by China Mobile.

(3) If foreign spectators buy (or rent) mobile phone terminals and buy SIM phone cards and pre-paid phone cards in China, they can enjoy all the businesses and services provided by China Mobile.

Currently, the "Easy-Own" pre-paid SIM phone cards sold at the China Mobile Service Halls within Beijing have a unit price of 60RMB/card, including a credit of 50RMB. The pre-paid phone cards of China Mobile are available in a variety of price values. Once your pre-paid SIM card run out of credit, you can conveniently recharge credit with a pre-paid recharge card.

For more details, please call the Beijing customer service hotline of China Mobile -- (+8610) 10086 or visit the website of China Mobile

How to make IP telephone calls?

If you wish to make international and domestic long-distance calls, you're advised to buy an IP phone card. 17908 can save you a considerable amount off your phone bill. The surface value of phone card mainly includes 30RMB, 50 RMB and 100RMB, and you can enter the card number and the password to make the call wherever telephones are available (local calling fees are charged as well). The public telephones of Beijing consist of IC card phones and public phones with on-duty personnel, and are available at most major streets, newspaper and magazine stands and groceries across the city proper and suburbs. The surface value of IC phone cards usually consists of 10 RMB, 20 RMB, 30 RMB, 50 RMB and 100RMB. You'll enjoy the convenience of the insert-to-use function. The public phones with on-duty personnel claim such advantages as preferential billing, accurate charging and convenient use. IP cards and IC cards as stated above are available at China Netcom, newspaper and magazine stands and supermarkets. You can get easy access to the card discounts.

Life tips in beijing china

Dressing guide -- The daily temperature in Beijing averages around 25℃ during August and September. The mornings and evenings are cool, but the daytimes are dry and hot. If you've decided on your Olympic trip, don't forget to bring the proper clothes along so that you can wear more at the cool moments and take them off at the hot moments. The sun-protection articles and sunglasses are integral as well.

Power system -- The power available in Beijing is 220v and the sockets in common use are the two-phase circular holes, two-phase flat holes and three-phase flat holes. Don't forget to prepare the convertible plugs according to your actual needs.

TV system -- TV system available in Beijing is PAL system. If your video cassette recorder adopts NTSC or SECAM system, you needn't worry about the failed pictures on the TV equipment of Beijing, which may be attributable to the mismatched systems between your video cassette recorder and the TV in Beijing.

Hotel service -- The hotels in Beijing usually provide the disposable toiletries, slippers, bath towels and sanitary articles.

How to use internet?

If you want to get access to the internet, there're many internet bars in Beijing and the internet fee is often three yuan per hour. You only need to show your ID card or passport. Following the required registration, you can surf online as much as you like. Some cafes or bars also provide the wireless networks so that you may take your laptop computer, drinking coffee and surfing online at the same time. Moreover, you access to the internet is also enabled in the hotels. In most cases, the internet-accessing sockets are also available in the rooms of three-star hotels or above. You're advised to ask the hotel personnel about the internet fees and formalities before your formal use of the internet.

Necessary materials to apply for Chinese visa

Once you've decided on the time for your trip to Beijing, you'd better submit the visa application to the Chinese embassy or consulate in your own country. All the Chinese embassies in the foreign countries will, according to the principle of "warm service, strict control, simple formalities and soon issue", properly handle your visa application within the specified working days. For more specific measures, please read the updated information of this column.

You may come to watch the Olympic Games or travel across China. In either case, you shall apply for the tourist visa. The visa applications may be submitted by the applicants themselves or handled by their consignees according to the principle of voluntary will. However, there's an exception to the situations in which the applicants shall be present according to the related regulations or the visa officers demand the personal interviews. The applicants have the obligations to respond to the enquiries from the visa officers.

Necessary materials to apply for Chinese visa:

(1) A passport which has a valid period of no less than six months following the date of submission, and the blank visa page;

(2) One Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China, which is filled clearly with true, authentic and complete information and signed by the applicant;

(3) One recent, full-faced and bareheaded passport photo (the daily life photo, photo copy or digital photo printed on the ordinary paper shall not be accepted);

(4) Other related application materials according to different purposes for your trip to China;

(5) Other materials related to the visa application, deemed as necessary by the visa officer;

(6) Collecting the visa, the applicant shall pay the visa fee and the special rush or rush service charges (if chosen).

The oriental ancient civilization of Beijing

In 2008, when you are at the grand occasion of the Olympic Games with the theme slogan of "One World, One Dream", you will also find yourselves experiencing the oriental ancient civilization of Beijing.

Beijing was the capital city of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. The largest palace of the world, the Forbidden City, is located on the central axis of Beijing city. Together with the Summer Palace - a royal park, the Great Wall, Beijing Royal Quadrangle Courtyard etc, Beijing has 7300 cultural relics and historical sites, as well as more than 200 scenic spots.

Beijing, the Capital City, is the political, cultural and diplomatic centre of China. It has become a modern international cosmopolitan city with more than 11 million people. The Capital International Airport, 23.5 km from the city centre, is China's largest and most advanced airport. There are close to 40 five-star hotels in Beijing and the international direct distance dialing can reach 240 countries and regions.

August and September are the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in Beijing, with the highest temperature around 30°C and the lowest temperature around 18°C. This is the best season of the year in Beijing when the sky is blue and clear. The city feels especially spacious and airy when the distant lofty Yanshan Ridge could be seen from the height of the Forbidden City. Beijing can be said to have the charm of antiquity as well as the spirit of modernity indeed.

Beijing 2008: U.S. women team to play China and Brazil as WC warm-up

WASHINGTON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States is to play China and Brazil in warm-up matches heading to the Women's World Cup.

The Americans will play China on June 16 and Brazil seven days later at East Rutherford, New Jersey, the U.S. Soccer Federation said on Monday. They also will play friendlies on July 14, July 28, Aug. 12 and Aug. 25.

After finishing this week at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, the Americans have games against Mexico on April 14 at Fox borough, Massachusetts, and Canada on May 12 at Frisco, Texas.

The Women's World Cup is scheduled for Sept. 10-30 in China.

Beijing 2008: Mexican-U.S. basketball teams to play cross-border unity game

MEXICO CITY, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Two basketball clubs from Mexico and the United States will play exhibition games, using the countries' border as the court's half-way line, promoting Mexico-United States unity, United States club the Rio Grande Valle Silverados said in a statement on Monday.

The games will be played in Reynosa, a city in the northern Mexico state of Tamaulipas, and McAllen, a city in the southern United States state of Texas, which borders Tamaulipas on Tuesday morning. At the same time, the two nation's presidents, the UnitedStates' George W. Bush and Mexico's Felipe Calderon, will met in Merida, a city in the southeastern Mexico state of Yucatan.

Fact checkers from the United States' Guinness Book of Records will record the match between Reynosa team Correcaminos (The Roadrunners) and McAllen's Silverados.

Authorities in McAllen and Reynosa have agreed to close the international bridge for use in the game for 15 minutes.

Beijing 2008: Beckham sidelined for over a month by knee injury

MADRID, March 6 (Xinhua) -- World-famed soccer idol David Beckham will be out for four to six weeks after damaging his lateral ligament of right knee in Real's Primera Liga tie last weekend.

The former England skipper's spokesman said Beckham suffered a strain to the ligament during Sunday's 1-1 draw against Getafe at the Bernabeu.

Beckham will miss the return leg of Real's Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich and this Saturday's local game at arch-rivals Barcelona, as well as at least another four Primera Liga games.

The 31-year-old, who is leaving Real this summer for the MLS side LA Galaxy on a 250 million US dollars five-year-deal, could be available for the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinals if Real win over Bayern.

Beijing 2008: Tough draw for Asian teams at FIFA U-20 World Cup

OTTAWA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Asian teams will have to battle their way through tough pools after being drawn with strong rivals for this year's FIFA U-20 World Cup.

While Asian youth champions DPR Korea will face Argentina, the Czech Republic and Panama in Group E, runners-up Japan find themselves in Group F which also has Scotland, Nigeria and Costa Rica.

South Korea are in Group D with the likes of Brazil, Poland and the United States. Jordan, the team South Korea beat in the Asian Youth Championship 3rd-place playoff, are in Group B with Spain, Uruguay and Zambia.

The top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams advance to the round of 16.

The 24-team competition, which runs from June 30 to July 22, will take place in six Canadian cities.

Draw:

Group A: Canada, Chile, Congo, Austria

Group B: Spain, Uruguay, Jordan, Zambia

Group C: Portugal, New Zealand, Gambia, Mexico

Group D: Poland, Brazil, South Korea, United States

Group E: Argentina, Czech Republic, DPR Korea, Panama

Group F: Japan, Scotland, Nigeria, Costa Rica

Beijing 2008: Stoichkov recalls players for European Cup Qualifier

SOFIA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The coach of Bulgarian national football team, legend Hristo Stoichkov announced Monday the name list of Bulgarian players in foreign clubs for the coming European Cup qualifier versus Albania on March 28, reported BTA.

The names of the team are as following: Dimitar Ivankov (Kayserispor),Radostin Kishishev (Leeds), Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham), Valeri Bozhinov (Juventus), Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth), Georgi Peev (Amkar), Zoran Jankovic (Dalian), Chavdar Yankov (Hannover), Zdravko Lazarov (Erciyesspor), VladimirManchev (Real Valladolid), Marian Hristov (Wolfsburg), Blagoi Georgiev (Red Star Belgrade)

Martin Petrov, selected best Bulgarian footballer in 2006, is nursing an injury and will not be back until April.

Beijing 2008: Hewitt Wins Las Vegas ATP Title

Second-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt defeated fourth-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 7-6 (12/10) on Sunday to claim the 416,000-dollar Tennis Channel Open.

Hewitt, the former world No. 1 who is now ranked 20th in the world, captured his 26th career title. He also extended his run of seasons with at least one title to 10 straight, the best such streak among active players.

Hewitt improved on his performance here last year, when he finished runner-up to American James Blake.

"It is a big win," Hewitt said. "After the US Open last year I didn't play until the Australian summer, this year. I had to take the whole indoor season off and that was rough, not only for me and my rhythm for tennis but also mentally and trying to get back."

Hewitt missed eight weeks last year with a knee injury and lost in the third round of the Australian Open in January.

He retired from a match in Marseille in early February with a hamstring injury, which also forced him to withdraw from the tournament in Rotterdam later in the month.

"My goal coming into this tournament was not to get injured, not to re-injure my hamstring," he said. "That wasn't easy in Rotterdam, going there, practicing and then pulling out and watching everyone else play. But that probably made me hungrier this week."

After an exchange of early breaks, Hewitt broke in the ninth game and took the first set in the 10th game when Melzer slammed an overhead into the net.

But Melzer made Hewitt work to close it out in the second. He took a 4-1 lead, but Hewitt battled back, saving a set point at 5-6 en route to forcing the tiebreaker.

He saved three more after falling behind 6-4 in the tiebreaker before finally closing the proceedings on his fourth match point.

"I had enough chances at least to take it to a third set," said Melzer, who was denied a second career crown to go with the title he won in Bucharest last year. "I didn't take them - some of them maybe a little unlucky, some of them I might have choked.

"But when I wake up tomorrow I will be happy I had a pretty good tournament here this week" (Xinhua)

Beijing 2008: Ramadhani outsprints Kiplagat in Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan (photo attached)

Samon Ramadhani of Tanzania wins the Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon (Yohei Kamiyama/Agence SHOT)


Samson Ramadhani of Tanzania sprinted away from William Kiplagat of Kenya in the last 200m and won the 62nd Lake Biwa Marathon. It was the second victory in Japan for the reigning Commonwealth Games champion Ramadhani, having won the Beppu-Oita marathon in 2003. Unable to stay with Ramadhani and Kiplagat in the critical part of the race, Ambesse Tolossa of Ethiopia finished third with 2:11:15.

The race to make the Japanese marathon team for the World Championships team became murkier, for the first Japanese in the race, Mitsuru Kubota, ran only 2:12:50 for sixth place. Thus for the two straight qualification races – Tokyo Marathon and Lake Biwa Marathon – nobody qualified for the marathon team automatically.

How the race unfolded

Four pace makers – Luis Jesus, Isaac Macharia, Julius Maina and Benson Cherono – were asked to pace each 5km in around 15:15 to 15:20. However, with temperature rising above 20C, it was not possible to push the pace and therefore the pace stayed moderate during the early stages.

A huge pack passed the first kilometre in 3:04 and the second km in 6:12. The sky was sunny and the temperature at the start was unseasonably warm 17.9C with 49% humidity. At 2.5km fifty-one runners were together in the lead pack, which was reduced to thirty-three runners by 5km (15:27). Then the pack of more than thirty runners stayed together until 20km. The pace picked up a bit from the 5km and the pack passed 10km in 30:42. The day was getting warmer and by 13km, the temperature exceeded 20C. However, the pace slowed again after 10km and the huge pack grew in size. Thirty-seven runners stayed together through 15km (46:16).

The first major casualty was Dmitriy Semenov of Russia, who fell off the pace at 19km. After thirty-three runners passed 20km in 1:02:05 (15:49 for the last 5km), the real racing started. After Luis Jesus, one of the pace setter dropped out, at 20.5km, Tomoo Tsubota, a marathon debutante, went into the front and picked up the pace. As the race progressed and with the temperature rising, the race of attrition started and major contenders started to drop off like flies.

After the half marathon point (1:03:50), Kazutoshi Takatsuka, a 2:08 runner, fell off the pace. By 22km the front pack was reduced to 22 runners. Soon Muneyuki Ojima, winner of the 1998 edition, along with the defending champion Jose Rios of Spain, were also gone from the lead pack. Soon Tadayuki Ojima was also left behind by the lead pack. At 24km, Tomohiro Seto, Shin-ichi Watanabe and Toshihiro Iwasa went to the back of the pack.

At 26km, Benson Cherono dropped out, which left Isaac Macharia as an only pace setter left in the race. By 27km, the lead pack was reduced to seventeen runners.

At 28.4km the front pack was reduced to eleven runners – five domestic runners plus six runners from overseas. Soon Tsubota, who was running near the front since 20km, started to drift back to the middle of the pack. At the front were Africans – Macharia, Kiplagat, Kagika, Ramadhani, and Tolossa. Maase, the only European left in the front pack, was running at the back of the pack.

After the last pace maker, Macharia, left the race at 30km (1:33:04), Kiplagat started to lead the race. At the front, four Africans (Tolossa, Kiplagat, Ramadhani, and Laban Kagika) pushed the pace, while three Japanese (Kurao Umeki, Yuki Abe and Tetsuo Nishimura) and Maase tried to stay with them.

At 31.5km, Umeki was the next casualty. Soon the pack started to stretch out. And then at 31.9km into the race, Laban Kagika, who runs for JFE team in Japan, put on a strong surge to break the race open. Kiplagat, Tolossa and Ramadhani managed to stay with Kagika. The visible gap started to open between the Africans and non-Africans. However, Abe started to bridge the gap, and by 32.6km into the race he was successful. Abe's brave run only lasted less than one km, however. By 33.5km he again lost contact with the Africans and Maase moved into fifth at 34km.

With Kiplagat, Ramadhani and Tolossa controlling the pace, Kagika fell back at 35.4km. Three Africans took turn in leading.

"Tolossa was running the race like fartlek workout. He led some time and I led other time, but my goal was to stay with him until 200m from the finish," said Ramadhani.

With 3km to go, Tolossa surged hard. Ramadhani stayed with him while Kiplagat fell off the pace. Five hundred metres later Kiplagat was 15m behind. But soon the pace slowed and Kiplagat was able to re-join the pack. Then with 1500m to go it was Kiplagat's turn to make his move and Tolossa was completely left behind.

Ramadhani fell off by 10m at one time, but he tried very hard to stay close. With 1km to go, Ramadhani caught up with Kiplagat again. They entered the Ojiyama stadium side by side. During the last 600m on the track, the lead changed a few times. The last lap was like the final lap of a 10,000m race. Ramadhani took the lead for good with the final sprint in the last 200m and won by four seconds.

"It was a very hard race. I had to survive (many surges) to be competitive at the end," said Ramadhani.

(Credit: IAAF. Click here for further information.)

Beijing 2008: Argentina overwhelm Chile to take Three-Nation Tournament (photo attached)

The men's team of Argentina demolished Chile 7-2 to win a Three-Nation Tournament at the CENARD in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sunday.

The three teams are preparing for the Pan-American Games, which will take place from 13 until 29 July in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Games will qualify the champions for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Argentina was superior throughout the match, though Chile – which started to train just two weeks ago and suffered the absence of several key players – produced some good advances to net twice.

A hat-trick by Tomas Argento, in the ninth, 12th and 45th minutes; two goals from Pedro Ibarra, in the 15th and 38th, one from Rodrigo Vila (20th) and another by Juan Manuel Saladino, a minute before half-time, gave the hosts a deserved and clear victory.

Alan Stein had netted the provisional equalizer, in the 11th minute, while Pablo Khulenthal scored again, in the 49th minute.

Argentina trounced Trinidad & Tobago 9-0 on Saturday, while Chile also beat the Caribbean team 3-0 on Friday.

"This tournament is very important to increase competition and to practice which we did in the training sessions," said the Argentine coach, Sergio Vigil.

Argentina will face also a busy calendar before the Pan-American Games, a four-nation tournament in April in the Netherlands, where the players based in Europe will take part; the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, in May, and The Champions Challenge in Boom, Belgium, in June.

Meanwhile, Chile's coach, Alfredo Castro said: "we came here with only two weeks of training, but we give priority to train for the Pan-American Games".

"These matches are useful because Argentina have a superior speed and are placed among the top ten in the world. So they help us to improve our rhythm", added the coach from Argentina.

Chile will travel to Canada in May to play a series of test-matches and they will also visit Cuba for 15 days, while they are trying to fix some friendly matches against the Netherlands Antilles, all rivals at the PanAm Games.

(Credit: FIH. Click here for further information.)

Beijing 2008: WTF Electronic Protector Intl Taekwondo Tourney opened in Chuncheon

The WTF (World Taekwondo Federation)Electronic Protector International Taekwondo Championships kicked off for a two-day run in Chuncheon, Korea, on March 4, 2007.

The event, which took place at the Hoban Gymnasium in downtown Chuncheon, drew about 160 athletes and officials from 19 countries.

Among the participating countries and areas are China, Chinese Taipei, Egypt, France, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and Korea.

"The electronic protector taekwondo championships are very important for the future of the WTF, as they will determine whether the electronic protector system will be adopted at the upcoming 2007 World Taekwondo Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," said WTF President Chungwon Choue during the opening ceremony of the championships.

Dr. Choue said, "The development of the electronic protector system opens a new chapter for the WTF, as we strive to enhance our refereeing and judging standards." "This is an endeavor that must succeed. There is no room for error."

The opening ceremony was followed by a demonstration of taekwondo practitioners with a disability, and a demonstration of competition uniforms for taekwondo poomsae.

Attending the opening ceremony of the championships were Dr. Nat Indrapana, vice president of the WTF and IOC member of Thailand, and Mr. Wu Ching Kuo, a member of the WTF's Advisory Council and IOC member of Chinese Taipei.

Among other dignitaries were Mr. Ketil Petterson, the ORIS (Olympic Results & Information System) sport analyst for taekwondo, and Mr. Cao Tao, competition manager for taekwondo of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games.

The opening day of the championships using electronic protectors featured two male and two female Olympic categories.

In the male -58kg category, Japan's Kango Uchimura won the gold medal by brushing aside a stiff challenge from Spain's Jose Lois Mendez. The bronze was shared by Egypt's Tamer Salah Ali Baumi and France's Seninor Thomas.

In the female -49kg class, Mexico's Alejandra Gaal clinched the gold in the sudden-death round by beating Korea's Jo Eun-bi. The bronze went to the Philippines' Alora Kathleen Eunice and Greece's Fotini Birba.

In the male -80kg final match, France's Lopes Jonathan needed the fourth sudden-death round to earn his country the gold medal as he outperformed Italy's Sarmiento Mauro. The bronze went to Turkey's Serdar Akin and Egypt's Adb Al-Rahman Osama Tawfik.

Turkey's Sibel Guler won the gold medal in the female -67kg final as she outpointed Korea's Kim Ji-hye 4-2. The bronze was shared by Egypt's Seham Mohamed El Sawalhy and the Philippines' Alora Kirstie Elaine.

The existing kyorugi competition rules of the WTF were applied to the electronic protector event, except some changed rules.

According to the newly applied rules are as follows: No time limit was given to the sudden-death round until any contestant scores a point. In the decision of the sudden-death round, only positive points count. The win by a 12-point ceiling was not applied this time, but the 7-point gap was applied.

In case of attacks on the front face where there are no sensors, points will be valid if two out of three referees (center referee and corner judges) give points when one of the center referee or corner judges raise an objection.

On March 3, various events, including international referee training sessions, were held in Chuncheon for the WTF Electronic Protector International Taekwondo Championships.

The referee training sessions, among others, drew great interest from participating athletes and officials.

Several countries sent their national players to Chuncheon just for monitoring the electronic protector championships.

(Credit: WTF. Click here for further information.)

Beijing 2008: Uganda finishes 3rd in Greatest Race On Earth Marathon

KAMPALA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has finished 3rd in the Greatest Race On Earth Marathon after its last leg runner Francis Yiga clocked two hours 27 minutes and 53 seconds over the weekend in Hong Kong.

Yiga, who holds the personal best record of 2 hours 18 minutes and 47 seconds, failed to run under 2 hours 18 minutes to achieve his target of qualifying for the World Athletics Championships set for August in Osaka, Japan

However, Yiga's performance on Sunday still helped Ugandan team finish third overall with an accumulated time of 9 hours 30 minutes and 37 seconds behind winner team Kenya and second-placed Zimbabwe.

Uganda led after the first two legs ran by Moses Cherop in Nairobi and Joseph Nsubuga in Singapore but fell to third positionin the Mumbai leg ran by national marathon record holder Alex Malinga.

Team Uganda was rewarded with 5,000 US dollars while Zimbabwe collected 15,000 dollars and Kenya pocketed 30,000 dollars.

Beijing 2008: Top Zimbabwe tennis player hits jackpot with 4 titles

HARARE, March 6 (Xinhua) -- It is only three months into the new year and Zimbabwe's top female tennis player Cara Black has already hit a jackpot with four doubles titles with her South African partner Liezel Huber.

Black, who captured the 2007 Australian Open women's doubles title with Huber in Melbourne at the end of January, has made more than 290,000 US dollars on the road this year.

According to Tuesday's The Herald, the latest Sony Ericsson Women's Tennis Association Tour top prize money earners list for 2007 indicates that Black has made a total of 294,663 dollars.

The 27-year-old Zimbabwean and Huber have picked up a total of $292,785 after winning four doubles titles this year in Melbourne, Paris (France), Antwerp (Belgium) and in Dubai between January and February. These four crowns have seen Black bringing her career doubles titles to 31.

Black, who was inactive last week, now has a doubles record of 22 wins and two defeats (22-2) this year alone and has now made $3,838,165 in career prize money since she turned professional in January 1998.

Black and Huber are still ranked as the top female doubles pair in the world after their heroic performances in Melbourne, Paris, Antwerp and Dubai.

Beijing 2008: Yao: I cant wait for the next game

BEIJING, March 7 -- Houston Rockets center Yao Ming returned to action after missing 32 games for a fractured right leg on March 5.

The absence of more than two months took its toll on Yao, but only for three quarters. He erupted in the fourth and helped to cut a 14-point deficit to within two near the end of the game, but the rally came too late, and the Rockets lost to Cleveland Cavaliers 85-91.

"I didn't play long tonight. I mean, 27 minutes, that's not my average (34.6) because coach would not play me if I did not feel good. He said he would control my minutes by how the game was going and how I was going. I understand; everything for the team," said Yao, "So the minutes I played in the first three quarters got me feeling regular, so in the fourth quarter, when I stepped out, I made a couple shots and it was a big help."

March 6 is the day of Jingzhe (the Waking of Insects), one of the 24 solar terms that divide the traditional Chinese lunar year. From this day on, little creatures that were hibernating are supposed to come back to life.

With Yao's return, the energy seems to be back with the Rockets, too. "In the fourth quarter, it was a little bit better. But I'm just not up to it all. I felt the team played with high energy in the fourth quarter, and I could feel the energy of my teammates. I can't wait for the next game."

Beijing 2008: Mission Impossible for China Womens Team at Algarve Cup

China women's team risked a fourth consecutive Algarve Cup calamity when the troubled former world runners-up started the Cup campaign on Wednesday.

Beaten by France national team in Bordeaux on February 28 and a Swedish club three days later in Portugal, China is gazing down the barrel of another Algarve Cup early exit after finishing sixth or further back in the past three editions.

Since finishing second to the United States in the 1999 World Cup, the Chinese women, known as the "Steel Roses", have failed to return to such heights in international competitions.

The team was left high and dry into 2007 when the Chinese Football Association (CFA) failed to appoint the new head coach since former manager Ma Liangxing left the squad ahead of the Four Nations tournament, citing a heart problem late January.

A key official with the CFA was quoted as saying in the China Sports Daily that it was improper to leave the post for a national head coach just ahead of an important tournament, hinting Ma had pretended to be sick.

The team, who have shifted head coach five times since 2002, is now steered by the deputy head coach Wang Haiming.The 49-year-old will be reportedly promoted if the team produces a good result at the Algarve Cup starting on March 7 through to 15.

The team are also under injury cloud after fullback Pu Wei and midfielder Bi Yan sustained new problems in the recent warming-up matches, leaving Wang a young yet inexperienced starting line-up averaging 22 or so.

As if that were not enough, China's forward Ma Xiaoxu, the AFC's Women's Player of the Year, has been confirmed to skip the major women's soccer tournament after joining the Swedish women's soccer champions Umea IK.

China, the former world number two, who has slipped to ninth on the world rankings, will play the United States on Wednesday in Group B,where Sweden and Finland feature in the other clash. (Xinhua)

Yao tops Forbes China Celebrity List for 4 straight years

China's 25-year-old basketball star Yao Ming, who plays for Houston Rockets in the NBA league, has topped Forbes' Chinese celebrity rankings for the fourth straight year.

Since its inception in 2004, the Forbes' Chinese Celebrity list has ranked China's actors, actresses, singers and athletes, according to their press coverage, web hits and commercial value in the previous year.

The list shows that Yao had a pre-tax income of 260 million yuan (about 32.5 million U.S. dollars) in 2006 and hurdler Liu Xiang took second spot with a pre-tax income of 58 million yuan (about 7.25 million U.S. dollars).

Director Zhang Yimou is number three and actresses Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li were fourth and fifth.

Hao Bing, a compiler of the Forbes' list, said that it aimed to record the development of China's entertainment and sports industries, and evaluate the commercial value of celebrities. (Xinhua)

Beijing 2008: Copa America mascot tours Venzuela

CARACAS, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Guaky, a brightly colored macaw that is the mascot of soccer's 2007 Copa America, to be held in Venezuela, has visited Bolivar state towns Roscio and El Callao, part of a national tour to promote the soccer tournament, which runs from June 26 to July 15.

The bird began his tour on Friday, and visited the Bolivar towns on Monday, the organizers said in a statement. The bird's caravan is headed by Francisco Rangel Gomez, who is trying to bring people into the world's oldest soccer competition.

On Tuesday, Guaky will visit Tumerano.

It is Venezuela's first Copa America and it will be distributed across the nation in the cities of San Cristobal, Puerto Ordaz, Maracaibo, Merida, Puerto La Cruz, Barquisimeto, Barinas, Maturin and Caracas.

Beijing 2008: Brazilian top equestrians out of Pan American Games

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Alvaro Affonso de Miranda Neto, popularly known as Doda, came out the second elite equestrian of Brazil on Tuesday to skip this summer's Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil's Olympic gold winning horse rider Rodrigo Pessoa had announced Saturday that he would not compete in the event slated in July.

Doda, Olympic bronze medalist both in Atlanta 1996 and in Sydney 2000, disagrees with the criteria of the Brazilian Equestrian Confederation (CBH) to define the place holding the selection trials for the Games.

He said that six Brazilian horse riding teams live in Europe, which hosts the most important and best paid equestrian competitions, and it's impossible for them to follow the European calendar and, at the same time, come to Brazil in May for the trials.

Pessoa, gold medalist of the Pan American Games equestrian jumping teams in 1995 and 1999 along with Doda, has already qualified for the tournament, but he decided not to participate with the same reasons as Doda's.

Beijing 2008: Chinas gymnastic squad for World Cup

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua)-- China released their gymnastic squad for World Cup series for 2007-2008 season in Germany and France on Wednesday.

The France tournament is to be held in Paris on March 15-18 to unveil the season and then the second stop shifts to Cottbus of Germany on 23-25.

The year of 2007 is the final stage to build up 2008 Beijing Olympic Games squad, so the World Cup series are much valued as China's gymnastic team is gearing up for the homeland sports pageant.

Following is the squad for the forthcoming World Cup tournaments:

Teng Haibin (pommel horse, high bar and parallel bar), Zou Kai (high bar, floor exercise), Feng Zhe (parallel bars), Du Wei (vault, floor exercise), Fan Ye (uneven bars, beam and floor exercise), Liu Hou (beam).

Beijing 2008: Europe introduces additional doping ban

LONDON, March 7 (Xinhua) -- European Athletics (EA) have decided that athletes found guilty of major doping offences will be ineligible to compete in European championships for a minimum of two years after their suspension ends.

The decision to change the competition entry regulations was announced on Wednesday after the European Athletics council meeting in Birmingham, England.

"The Council has unanimously decided that competing in our championships represents a special privilege and that we must not allow the negative notoriety of the small number of athletes who cheat to spoil the experience or distract attention from those who follow the rules," EA president Hansjoerg Wirz said in a statement.

"Our message is very clear and we will do what it takes to ensure the credibility of the sport and protect the health of athletes and young people" added Wirz.

The extra suspension is to begin on the day an athlete is cleared to compete by the IAAF after a doping ban. However, those athletes will still be able to part in international invitational or national level competitions.

Beijing 2008: Liverpool, Chelsea, Valencia, Roma through to Champions League quarters

LONDON, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Holders Barcelona nipped a 1-0 victory at Anfield on Tuesday but failed to prevent Liverpool from advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals on away goals after aggregating it 2-2.

The 2004 winners Porto also bowed out after Chelsea made a successful comeback to win 2-1 at Stamfor Bridge for a 3-2 aggregate through.

Chelsea's victory made there an unprecedented four teams from the Premier League in the Champions League last eight.

AS Roma and Valencia also advanced when a 2-0 win from the former team inflicted a first home defeat in 19 Champions League games on Olympique Lyon and the latter tied Inter Milan 0-0 after their first leg 2-2 draw.

Anfield has been the scene of some memorable European nights over the years and those there on Tuesday will remember Liverpool's latest adventure for many years - despite the game ending in defeat.

Liverpool went out looking to kill the tie from the start and played a first half of 10 shots on goal to Barcelona's one.

Barcelona looked sluggish all night, personified in Ronaldinho who hit the post when through on goal after 53 minutes, before substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen finally scored in 75 minutes.

The remaining four second-leg matches take place on Wednesday when Manchester United and Arsenal will be seeking to make it four through from one country for the first time.

Beijing 2008: Chinese womens soccer team lose to U.S. 2-1

SILVES, Portugal, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China lost to the United States 2-1 in their opening game of the Algarve Cup Women's football tournament on Wednesday.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored the winner in the 38th minute when she shunned two sluggish tackles by the Chinese players before releasing a powerful right-footer.

The United States' veteran striker Kristine Lilly opened the scoring from the spot in the 18th minute after her striking partnet Abby Wambach was fouled by Chinese defender Li Jie inside the penalty area.

China equalised three minutes later through forward Han Duan who met a cross from teammate Liu Yali and headed the ball past the United States goalkeeper Hope Solo.

The United States, a physically and technically superior team, were on attack throughout the game forcing a lot of saves from Chinese keeper Zhang Yanru.

Wang Haiming, China's acting head coach accepted the loss with no complaints.

"The United States deserved to win the game as they are a better team," he said.

"But I am satisfied with my players' performance, they showed signs of maturing. They need to hone their skill to make up their physical disadvantage," he said.

Greg Ryan, head coach of the United States, also perceived China' s progress since they lost to his team 2-0 in a tournament in January.

"They are a better team than in January, they have made improvements in every aspects including attack, defence and physical play," he said.

Beijing 2008: China sends strong squad to Swimming Championships

China will send the biggest team of 45 swimmers to the upcoming FINA World Swimming Championships slated to be held in Melbourne from March 17 to April 1.

The sports governing body on Tuesday unveiled its lineup for the tournament. China's two top-ranked swimmers, female breaststroker Qi Hui and male butterflyer Wu Peng, will lead the contingent.

Chinese rising distance freestyler Zhang Lin is also on the list. The 19-year-old outshone American Olympic medalist Klete Keller in the 400m freestyle at the Pan Pacific titles in Canada last August.

Meanwhile, China will also send several brilliant teenage girls to the pool, with the youngest one Bai Anqi just 13.

Head coach Zhang Yadong said they aim to win gold medals in the championships and will try to improve the abilities of the entire team.

The Chinese team won only one silver medal and four bronzes at the last World Championships in Montreal, Canada in 2005.

Name list for Melbourne Championships:

Swimming

Men's: Wu Peng, Zhang Lin, Chen Zuo, Ou Yang kunpeng, Wang Dong, Zhou Jiawei, Chen Yin, Wang Haibo, Qu Jingyu, Lai Zhongjian, Zhang Bodong, Zhang Chang, Zhang Enjian, Huang Shaohua, Cai Lil, Shi Runqiang, Yu Chenglong, Zhang Zishan, Sun Yang, Li Ziqiang, Shi Yang, Zhao Tao, Lu Zhiwu and Ren Chen

Women's: Qi Hui, Zhou Yafei, Xu Yanwei, Yang Yu, Pang Jiaying, Zhu Yingwen, Jiao Liuyang, Deng Biying, Ji Liping, Luo Nan, Chen Jiahui, Xu Tian longzi, Zhao Jing, Gao Yang, Bai Anqi, Tang Jingzhi, Tang Yi, Tan Miao, Yu Yue and Yu Yao.

Diving

Men's: Wang Feng, He Chong, Luo Yutong, Qin Kai, Lin Yue, Huo Liang and Zhou Lvxin

Women's: Guo Jingjing, Wu Minxia, Li Ting, He Zi, Jia Tong, Chen Ruolin and Wang Xin

Beijing 2008: Ping-pong league ready to bounce back

After a season of boom and bust in 2006, this year consolidation is the name of the game for organizers of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League.

Last year teams shelled out millions of yuan to sign up China's premier paddlers, but poor attendances and sponsorship revenues meant the strategy was a costly failure.

World No 1 Ma Lin sent shockwaves through the sport when Shaanxi Yinhe agreed to pay over 5 million yuan ($645,000) for his services. Ma himself earned the season maximum 1 million yuan ($130,000), and the 4 million yuan ($510,000) transfer fee was split between his former club Shantou and the Chinese Table Tennis Administrative Center.

But this year Ma was on the move again, last Friday announcing a switch to Ningbo Haitan for just 1.3 million yuan ($168,000), including his 1 million yuan salary.

"Everybody is more conscious now and everybody knows what they want. It is a good sign for the players and also for the league as a whole," Liu Fengyan, director of the Table Tennis Administrative Center, told China Daily.

Other national team stars moving clubs include Wang Liqin, who moved from Bayi to Zhejiang for 2.45 million yuan ($316,000), and talented Ma Long, who joined Sichuan Quanxing for 1.39 million yuan ($180,000) from Beijing.

"Personally I cannot say if the prices are high or low. It's the market that is deciding the price this time," said Liu.

According to Liu, last year's huge sum for Ma Lin was the result of an intense rivalry between Shaanxi and Ningbo, and therefore did not represent his true market value.

On the surface the huge investment appeared to pay off for Shaanxi as they won the league title, but behind the scenes financial realities quickly hit home.

"I realized we were over-budget after winning the bid," the club's general manager Li Yihong said. "We were in debt even though we won the league."

Realizing they were unable to make the payment the club sought to renegotiate, eventually gaining more television coverage and advertising opportunities from the Administrative Center.

According Li, the club's average annual revenue is around 2 million yuan ($260,000), and with half of that going to one player the team could not make ends meet. Having moved Ma on to Ningbo, this season Shaanxi will not recruit any national team players.

"We have to cut expenses this year if we want to stay in the league," he said. "I don't expect anything like a top three finish this year. This is payback for what we did last year."

Ma, meanwhile, is unfazed by his plummeting value.

"For me there is no difference," he was quoted as saying on Sina.com. "No matter who I compete for, my target is to win the league title."

The league starts in June, with 10 men's and 10 women's teams from 20 cities around China aiming to be crowned champions in September.

Rocky road

Despite dominating international table tennis, China has struggled to organize the talent into a viable league system.

The sport was played on a provincial level until 1998 when the Super League was established. The league has been plagued with problems, notably scheduling clashes with international competitions, team venue switches, absence of top players and falling sponsorship revenues.

The infamous 2003-04 season was originally meant to be 22 rounds, but it stretched on for an agonizing 14 months with just 10 rounds played as Olympic preparations wreaked havoc with the schedule and frustrated sponsors withdrew.

Despite the ups and downs, optimism remains.

Cai Zhenhua, assistant to the director of China's General Sports Administration and former table tennis chief, said ahead of last season that the league could one day become China's answer to the United States' National Basketball Association (NBA).

"We are aiming to develop our table tennis league into one of the best sports leagues in the world, just like the NBA," he told China Daily. "We have the widest fan base here in China and we have the best players, so that is my expectation in the long run. I feel we are moving closer to it."

Others believe China could learn a lot from Germany, home to the most successful professional table tennis league.

A total of 15,000 teams compete at various levels under the German Table Tennis Association, which also governs three popular professional tournaments- the League Cup, League A and League B.

Top players there are able to earn over two million yuan a season, compared to the maximum one million yuan payment in China.

Chinese paddlers swept the medals at the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney, and are favorites to dominate again at the 2008 Beijing Games after winning the first four International Table Tennis Federation tournaments in 2007.

Beijing 2008: Sydney FC beats Shanghai Shenhua 2-1 in AFC Champions League

Steve Corica and Ufuk Talay each scored a goal to lead Sydney FC to a 2-1 victory over China's Shanghai Shenhua in the Asian Champions League on Wednesday.

Corica scored in the sixth minute in the opening game of group E, with Talay adding the second in the 22nd.

Striker Xie Hui pulled one goal back for the hosts in the 77th minute.

Along with Adelaide United, Sydney FC are making Australia's debut in Asia's premier club competition. (Xinhua)

Beijing 2008: Special Olympics World Summer Games to open in Shanghai (photo attached)

The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, the city that will host the Special Olympics in 2007 Photo By: Remy Gros


The Special Olympics World Summer Games, which will celebrate the abilities and accomplishments of people with learning disabilities, will be staged in Shanghai from 2nd to 11th October 2007.

It is anticipated that over seven thousand athletes from no less than one hundred and sixty-nine countries will participate in fifteen disciplines on offer.

Furthermore, there will be forty thousand volunteers, three thousand five hundred event officials plus thousands of families, volunteers, spectators and journalists from every continent.

Programme

Sports in the Special Olympics Summer programme are: aquatics (swimming and diving), athletics, basketball, bowling, cycling, equestrian, football (soccer), gymnastics (artistic and rhythmic), ten-pin bowling, handball, power lifting, roller skating, softball, tennis and of course table tennis.

Difference

The Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations; the Special Olympics offers all year round sports and training opportunities for all learning disability levels.

Paralympics provides elite only level sports competition for multi-disabled groups including physical, blind and deaf.

Development

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Shriver Kennedy, sister of United States President, the late John F. Kennedy, the Special Olympics began life as a series of summer camps for people with learning disabilities. Since those fledgling years, the Special Olympics movement grown worldwide and now encompasses one hundred and sixty countries and over two million athletes.

In twenty thousand communities throughout the world, for three hundred and sixty five days a year, the Special Olympics provides training and competition in thirty Olympic based sports for those with learning disabilities from age eight to eighty.

IOC Recognition

The Special Olympics was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1988 and it is the only sports organisation authorised by the IOC to use the word 'Olympics' in its title.

Nowadays the Special Olympics is universally recognized and has the support of many celebrities. Film stars Colin Farrell, Eva Mendes and Bruce Willis are official Games spokespersons, along with Hong Kong pop star Karen Mok and Chinese film stars Vicki Zhao and Xu Zheng.

They join a premier group of international Special Olympics supporters who include California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; boxing legend Muhammad Ali; Olympians Scott Hamilton, Nadia Comaneci, and Bart Conner; performers Vanessa Williams and Rev. Joseph Simmons; and North American Basketball sensation Yao Ming.

Opening Ceremony

Producer of the Opening Ceremonies will be produced by the award winning Don Mischer.

A man of experience, his credits include the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2002, Emmy Awards telecasts, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Grand Opening of Euro Disney and the Hong Kong '97 Spectacular celebrating the city as it reunified with China.

Star Studded

The event will take place in the eighty thousand seater Shanghai Stadium and will feature: star-studded entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron by law enforcement officials from around the world.

China Makes History

China, which also will host the 2008 Olympic Games and will become the first country in history to host the Special Olympics World Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, all within the span of just twelve months.

Focus on China

The focus is on China as the country plays a major humanitarian role.

People from different cultures will meet; they will meet in the true spirit of competition. New friendships will be forged, friendships that will last a lifetime and sport will demonstrate that the peoples of the world can live in harmony.

(Credit: ITTF. Click here for further information.)

Beijing 2008: FEI Womens Day special: from the side saddle to the podium (photo attached)

From the marginal to the side-saddle to the top... There is little doubt that women's place in equestrian sport has been defined and redefined over and over during the past few centuries. And today, it is no longer a question of whether women have a place in equestrian sport, it has become a reality which cannot be denied. Indeed, when tracing the from then till now, as the photos show, one is faced with a fascinating demonstration of both cultural and social evolution, and thus a fitting tribute to the International Women's Day, 8th March.

Indeed, equestrian sport today is one of the very few sports where men and women compete on equal terms and this all the way up to Olympic level. This level playing field for women and men has certainly proved to be beneficial as we now see women at the top of the list in many of the equestrian disciplines. Notably, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum, currently ranked number one in the FEI World Jumping Riders Rankings, Anky Van Grunsven World Dressage Champion or even Zara Philipps, Eventing World Champion who was also elected 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the year.

Lest we forget that women and riding, and sport in general for that matter, have emerged from a rather tumultuous past. The Olympic Games were not originally intended for female participation, and if any presence were permitted, it was in select sports as most involvement of women in high level competition was deemed both detrimental for their health and appearance, that is, not particularly lady-like.

The success currently encountered by women in equestrian sport is really quite remarkable, particularly when we look back to the very fascinating side-saddle era, which by many accounts probably started in the 16th century and went on to see women competing from around 1870 up until World War I. Subsequently, side-saddle competitions were held here and there up until the 1960s, but these were more nostalgic in nature.

In the 1920s/30s, there were events for women such as the Nations Cup, but these were generally for the wives or sisters of famous riders or organisers, and it was not until the 1950s that the real emancipation for women in equestrian sport began. This was partly due to the fact that up until then, equestrian sports had mostly been run by the military, but as the military cavalries were slowly abolished, civil organisations began to take over, and this then had the positive effect of including women.

The trend was set in motion and as women began to be included in competitions and notably the Olympic Games, so did the recognition. Indeed, for the first time in Olympic equestrian history, in 1952 in Helsinki, four women were allowed to compete against men in the Dressage discipline. One of those women was Lis Hartel of Denmark, who eight years before had contracted polio and had only partly regained the use of her limbs, however remained paralyzed below the knees. In what can only be described as a magical sporting moment, she went on to win silver whilst providing posterity with one of the most emotional moments in Olympic history.

This led to the inclusion of women in the Jumping discipline at the Olympic Games of 1956 in Stockholm, which, to the surprise of many, saw Patricia Smythe from Great Britain walk away with a bronze team medal. Eventing came next, in 1964 in Tokyo, where American rider Lana du Pont became the first women to compete in the Olympic three-day-event, also as a member of the silver medal team.

This prominence of women on the field is also reflected in the administration of the sport, as the FEI is one of only two Summer Olympic International Federations to be presided by a woman, and this for over 20 years. Beginning with HRH The Princess Royal from 1986-1994, followed by HRH The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón (ESP) 1994 – 2006 and currently presided by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein (JOR). It is also interesting to note that both The Princess Royal and the current FEI President are Olympic athletes. Furthermore, the FEI headquarters is also representative of women's active involvement in the sport, with women present at all levels of the organisation.

Women hold up half the sky, they say. At least...

(Credit: FEI. Click here for further information.)

Beijing 2008: International Boxing Association 2007 Calendar unveiled

The International Boxing Association is proud to confirm the Boxing calendar for 2007.

The highlights of the year include the 2007 Senior World Championships to be held from September 15-30 in the beautiful Russian capital of Moscow and the U17 World Championships, which will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates from May 20-26.

The countdown to the 2008 Olympics also begins this year with qualification tournaments sprinkled throughout the next 12 months while the annual Continental Championships also promise to be a top drawcard in the Boxing calendar.

2007 AIBA Events Calendar

2/1-9 Pre-Panamerican Eliminatory - Venezuela

2/25 – 3/1 African Championships Qualifier Zone 1 - Algiers, Algeria

March

3/1-4 African Championships Qualifier Zone 2 - Bamako, Mali

3/13-20 Pre-American Eliminatory, Argentina - Buenos Aires

3/15-20 African Championships Qualifier Zone 3 - Ivory Coast

3/15-21 African Championships Qualifier Zone 4 - Cameroon

April

4/13-15 African Championships Qualifier Zone 7 - Madagascar

4/13-20 Pre-American Eliminatory - Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

4/22-29 Oceania Continental Championship - Samoa

May

5/15-22 African Championships - Madagascar

5/20-26 Under-17 World Champs - U.A.E, Dubai (may move to August)

June

TBD Pan American Cadet Championships

6/4-10 Continental Championship 1 - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

6/28 – 7/1 Europe Champ Cup 1 - Rome, Italy

6/25-31 European Cadet Championships - Hungary

July

7/6-15 European Junior Championships - Sombor, Serbia

7/11-23 All African Games - Algeria

7/13-29 Panamerican Games - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

7/28 – 8/10 AfroAsian Games - Algiers, Algeria

August

TBD Indian Ocean Games - Madagascar

8/24 – 9/1 South Pacific Games - Samoa

September

TBD Africa Champ Cup 2 - Sun City, South Africa

9/15-30 SENIOR 2007 World Champs - Moscow, Russia

TBD European Schoolboy Championships - England

October

10/14-21 European Women's Championships - Vejle, Denmark

10/20-26 Panamerican Women's Championships - Brazil

November

11/15–23 Test Event of Beijing Olympic Games ''Good Luck Beijing'' - Beijing, China

December

TBD Qualifier Asia 1 - Bangkok, Thailand

TBD Qualifier Asia 2 - Korea

TBD Qualifier Europe 1

(Credit: AIBA. Click here for further information.)

chinese wushu: Points to Remember: For Foreigners in Learning Wushu

Chinese wushu, which attracts a large following throughout the world with its incomparable charm, has been accepted by an increasing number of people as a health-keeping sport. What should foreigners do in order to learn and master wushu? And what are the points that merit their special attention? This article will deal with these and other questions.

Generally speaking, foreigners learn wushu for the following purposes:

1) To keep fit and prolong life;
2) To learn some combat skills for self-defence;
3) To take part in competitions;
4) To study the traditional Chinese culture.

Though their purposes may differ, they have all to be diligent in practice in order to achieve the desired result, for there is no shortcut to success.

When a foreigner starts learning wushu, he usually asks, "Can a foreigner master Chinese wushu?" The answer is positive.

Since wushu consists of body and limb movements, all human beings, irrespective of their race or nationality, can achieve their goal so long as they proceed in an orderly and systematic way according to the principles of teaching and training characteristic of wushu.

Chinese wushu experts require that all trainees should have confidence, determination, perseverance, patience and earnestness. With these conditions, trainees can be sure of success.

Following are some of the problems that often trouble both Chinese and foreigners learning wushu:

1. Overanxious for Quick Results

To learn wushu from experienced trainers, foreigners often invite Chinese masters to their countries to give lessons on a short-term basis, or they may come to China specially to learn this art for a few months. In both cases, the learners who are pressed for time tend to be overanxious for quick results. Instead of starting from and mastering the basic skills, they just follow the movements of their coaches and learn by imitation. In this way superficial resemblance is achieved to a certain degree, but the specific requirements and intrinsic value of the movements have been ignored. Once an incorrect form or some bad habit has been acquired, it would be difficult for them to get rid of it. So, in order to have a good command of wushu, one needs to accumulate experience and skill from several such short-term courses. And one should always remember there is no quick way of learning and mastering wushu. Basic skills, accuracy of movements, diligence and patience in practice are prerequisites for anyone wishing to become a wushu master.

2. Ignoring Basic Skills

A beginner should start from basic skills and proceed step and step from the easy to the difficult and from the simple to the complicated. He also has to keep in mind that he must gradually improve his qualities for certain special wushu movements in order to perform those movements well. Some beginners like to learn certain boxing routines or routines with weapons right from the start, but they have to give up halfway for lack of the required physical qualities.

3. Neglecting Practice

Beginners should pay special attention to daily practice. Not a few of them, however, tend to neglect practice after they have learned some special techniques or routines; their only excuse is they are "two busy." Thus they fail to improve their acquired skills and in the end all their past efforts come to naught.

4. No Clear Purpose in Choosing Wushu Events

There are two big categories in Chinese wushu: one is for competition and the other health-keeping. The standard routines for competition, which are stipulated by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, are pretty difficult to master and require a large amount of strength and stamina. Thus they are suitable for young people with good physical qualities. The health-keeping routines, on the other hand, are easy to learn and can be popularized among people of all ages. It is advisable that beginners refrain from choosing competitive routines lest they might do something beyond their ability. So, in order to benefit from practising wushu, it is necessary first of all for every trainee to choose events most suitable to his or her physical conditions.

5. Being Content with Superficial Understanding

Some people, with a gift for learning things quickly and a good physique, are often inclined to learn a little of many different routines, and think that wushu is easy to master. They do not care to understand the true essence of wushu but content themselves with what little they have already known. They even have the cheek to call themselves masters and teach others, thereby leading many people astray. This should be discouraged by all means.

6. Stiff and Uncoordinated Movements

Wushu movements require flexibility and high coordination. For a beginner, the movements of body and limbs are often stiff and not well-coordinated, for he cannot apply his force properly and he has difficulty in breathing freely and holding himself in a steady position in performance. To overcome these defects, all he has to do is to keep on practising, preferably under the guidance of experienced instructors.

chinese wushu: How to Learn Wushu by Oneself

Learning wushu is not easy, especially when there is no teacher giving the necessary instructions. Nevertheless, with the help of an adequate guidebook and by dint of persistent effort, one can attain a relatively high level in wushu techniques. To achieve this, the following points must be kept in mind.

First of all, one should pay attention to practising and mastering the basic movements. As a Chinese saying goes: The deeper the root is, the more luxuriant the foliage will be. With a good command of the basic skills, one can improve quickly and reach a high level in techniques.

The basic skills can help the wushu trainee increase his strength and speed of movement, as well as his stamina, flexibility and dexterity. They include exercises of the shoulders, waist and legs, the forms and movements of the hands, feet and body peculiar to wushu, as well as the various stances. They also include exercises in leaping and balancing, and in rolling and tumbling. Solid basic techniques can be acquired only through persistent training over a long period, in the process of which concentration of mind, strict adherence to the requirements, and unflagging effort are of vital importance.

Second, one should get a full understanding of the correct style and requirements of the movements so as to achieve the desired result. A beginner should not proceed too quickly and apply force blindly, but should acquire the correct style, proceed in a systematic way and do his best to meet the requirements. This should be done from the outset, for incorrect styles and bad habit, once acquired, would be difficult to rectify. When practising the "forward horizontal punch," (Fig 1,2,3) for instance, be sure that the head and neck are held erect, the body is upright, the shoulders are sunk and the punches are delivered with the turn of the torso. To master the movement, first do it slowly and in a relaxed way for a period of time until you get the hang of it. Having laid a good foundation, you may increase the speed and force of the punches.

Let's take "punch in a bow stance" for another example. This movement requires the bending of the front leg so that the thigh is horizontal and the knee and the toes form a perpendicular line, while the rear leg is straightened, with the toes turned inward. This movement may be practised in separate parts. After mastering it, one may go on practising other movements such as "driving the rear foot against the floor," "bringing the thighs together," "turning the torso," "extending the shoulders and directing force to the fist." In a word, these requirements are essential to the practice and mastery of wushu routines. In competitions, if ten points are offered for each routine, six will be awarded to performers who do the movements according to the requirements.

Third, one should know which movement is for attack and which is for defence. Attack and defence are the basic contents of wushu routines, without which all routines would be meaningless. In the movement "swing left hand and punch with right fist in bow stance," (Fig 4, 5) for instance, one should know that the "left hand swing" is for defence while the "right punch" is for attack. In warding off an opponent's blow from the left side, one may grab his arm with the left hand and pull him inward and at the same time punch his chest or abdomen with the right fist. In swordplay, the hand movement "rotating wrist leftward and rightward" appears to be ornamental and useless. Actually it is not. When an opponent attacks the lower and middle part of the body with a weapon, one can by means of this movement push off the weapon leftward or rightward with his sword and follow it up by thrusting his sword forward and upward at his opponent.

Having grasped the offensive or defensive character of each movement, the trainee will in practice be able to execute every movement with a purpose in mind. For trainees who do not know the meaning of each movement, though they may perform the movements in a quick and beautiful way, their performance would amount to mere form without substance. These trainees will of course not be able to grasp the essence of wushu.

Last but not least, one should grasp the styles and characteristics of the routines. Different wushu schools have different styles. In learning the different kinds of wushu routines with or without weapons, it is imperative that the trainees grasp the accurate styles of each and not mix them up. In practising changquan (long-range boxing), for example, the movements are extended, fast and forceful, flexible and rhythmic, interspersed with leaping, rolling and tumbling. The style of taijiquan, on the other hand, is totally different. In performing taijiquan, the movements are slow, gentle, continuous and in circles, like the drifting clouds and flowing streams. Exercises with weapons vary in style, as the weapons differ in shape and size. Broadswordplay is characterized by vigorous and rapid movements, while performance with the spear or cudgel features sudden thrusts and flails.

In short, to have a good command of the styles of different routines, one should practise untiringly. Only with perseverance can he reach his goal.

chinese culture: A Brief Introduction to Ancient Sports in China

China is well known as an ancient country with a civilization several thousand years old. But few people know that sports in China claim a history as long and honorable as the country's civilization. Ancient relics that have been un-earthed indicate that people in China 4,000 to 10,000 years ago already knew how to do physical exercises to limber up themselves. Such physical activities as shejian (shooting arrows) and juding (lifting metal tripods) which were carried out as far back as in the Western Zhou Dynasty (c 1,066- 771 BC) may well be compared to what we call sports today.

During the several millenia of Chinese history, sports in China grew in pace with economic, political and military development. A great variety of sporting activities were practised, in different ways at different times, some even bearing different names in different places. In terms of the purposes they served, they may be classified into the following groups:
1. Performing and entertaining sports, such as swordsmanship and touhu (throwing arrows into wine pitchers) of the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770-221 BC), cuju (football) and baixi (acrobatics) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), jiju (polo) of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and bingxi (games on ice) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Hunting, which is only for amusement, also falls into this category.
2. Keep-fit activities such as daoyin (physical and breathing exercises combined with automassage) and wuqinxi (Five Animal Play) of the Han Dynasty, and all kinds of traditional life preserving exercises that have been handed down to this day.
3. Various forms of physical training for military purposes, such as archery and charioteering in the Western Zhou Dynasty and long-distance runs in the army camps of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

There were also exercises for two or more of the above purposes. Jueli (wrestling) and wushu (martial arts), for example, may be practised as performing arts, or as fitness exercises, or as military skills.

Sports in ancient China were extremely rich and diversified, each with distinct features of its own. Traditional Chinese life preserving arts, in particular, combine bodily movements and mental activity in a way rarely seen in sports practised in other parts of the world. With their unique values in promoting health and combating disease, these arts are invaluable assets to mankind.
With their unique national features, Oriental charm, health-keeping and therapeutic values and entertaining effects, ancient sports form an intrinsic part of Chinese civilization. Today, they are being steadily improved on a scientific basis and have taken their place in the sporting world, enriching the treasure house of human civilization.

Beginning from this issue, we shall introduce to our readers ancient sports relics of different historical periods, including coloured pottery, bronzeware, bronze mirrors, chinaware, murals, brick paintings, Yungang grottoes, Dunhuang murals, and paintings of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. These precious relics and exquisite Pictures will enable our readers to obtain glimpses into the history of sports in China.

chinese culture: Embryonic Forms of Primitive Sports

Among the multitude of fairy tales told by the ancient Chinese, there were moving stories like those about "King Yi Shooting Down Nine Suns" and "Kua Fu Chasing the Sun". Such fairy tales reflect not only our ancestors' fond dreams but also their confidence and fortitude in developing bodily skills for the purpose of conquering nature.

The large numbers of stone balls unearthed in Yanggao County, Shanxi Province, were used as hunting tools by primitive men in the Paleolithic age some 100,000 years ago. The movements of the hunter's legs, arms and hands in his productive labour may be said to be the earliest forms of sport in human society.

A pottery basin unearthed in Datong County of Qinghai Province, which dates back 4,000 to 10,000 years, has three groups of dancing figures painted on its inner wall. On an ancient stone carving in Cangyuan, Yunnan Province, dating back about 3,000 years, there are not only dancing figures but also pictures of runners and acrobats forming a pyramid. From these relics we an see that in the latter part of China's primitive society, primitive sports were gradually breaking away from productive labour to merge with recreational and health activities. This marked a big step forward in the development of sports in ancient China.

A game called jirang (literally, "hitting the soil"), which is recorded in ancient books, was popular some four of five thousand years ago. A kind of throwing exercise in which a player had to hit a target on the ground 20 to 30 steps away to win a point, it could be called a competitive sport in its embryonic form.

chinese culture: Military Sports in Ancient Times

IN ancient China there was a fairy tale called "Kuafu Running After the Sun." Untrue as it is, the story does reflect people's admiration for great runners. Walking and running are the most fundamental abilities of man in daily life as well as in fighting. In ancient times when the means of transport were extremely simple and crude, people attached great importance to improving their walking and running abilities.

"The quality of troops lies in speed" was one of the most important maxims in ancient Chinese art of war. Eminent strategists of all times, from Wu Qi of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Ming Dynasty patriotic general Qi Jiguang (1528-1587), required their men to "run light-footedly" while carrying their weapons and with their coats of mail on. In ancient times, when dukes and princes travelled around in carts, their bodyguards had to run behind them. These bodyguards, called "brave warriors, " were selected through stringent tests" and enjoyed high esteem.

By the Yuan Dynasty (1271- J 1368), a long distance running race was held every year by the ruler inspecting his guards. According to a Yuan Dynasty history book titled Chuo Geng Lu, the race covered a t distance of about 180 Ii (90km) and the winner was awarded a silver disc while the others were given satin of different lengths. This was actually a kind of cross-country race that was held at regular intervals.

Hunting was one of the productive activities carried out by the primitive man as a means of survival. In the latter stage of the primitive society it began to be incorporated into the military training programmes of the ruling class. By the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770-221 BC) it assumed enormous dimensions as the rulers "taught the civilians ways to fight" by training them in such combat skills as marching, archery on horseback, and hand-to-hand fighting.

In the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), hunting gradually became a kind of recreation for the emperors and the nobility. Emperor Liu Che (140 BC- AD 88) had a hunting ground opened up in a forest west of the city of Xi' an. Named Shang Lin Yuan Park, it covers a large area with a circumference of hundreds of kilometres. Li Yuanji, son of the Tang emperor Li Yuan, is said to "prefer going without food for three days to going without hunting for one day." This shows what a great favour hunting was among the nobility.

Rulers of the Oing Dynasty ( 1644-1911) hailed from northeast China where people depended on hunting for their livelihood. Following an old tradition, they practised marching and fighting through hunting. Emperor Kangxi (1662- 1723) had a hunting ground named Mulan Ranch opened up in Rehe (a region comprising parts of today' s Hebei, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia), where large-scale hunting was carried out in the seventh and eighth months of the lunar year for six decades on end. Oianlong ( 1736- 1796 ) , another Oi ng emperor, issued a decree in which he gave his officials to understand the importance of hunting to both military exercise and physical training.

chinese culture: Daoyin -An Ancient Way of Preserving Life

Daoyin, or "xingqi," is a kind of callisthenic exercise combining breathing with bodily movements mimicking animals. Dao means to regulate qi, or vital energy, by guiding its flow in the body. Yin means to limber up the body and limbs through physical movements.

"Epigraph on Circulation of Oi, " an inscription on a piece of jade of the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), shows that people at that time already knew how to nourish qi and guide its flow in the body. Monographs on daoyin began to appear in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). The daoyin diagrams painted on silk, unearthed from Tomb No.3 of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) in Changsha, Hunan Province, are the earliest extant and most complete paintings on ancient callisthenics. The paintings depict in colour 44 persons of both sexes and different ages doing daoyin movements of various descriptions, Hua Tuo, a famous physician of the Period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), adapted over I 40 daoyin routines into five groups of movements mimicking tigers, deer, bears, apes and birds to create a set of exercise called Five Animal Play. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), daoyjn had developed into baduanjin (eight-section brocade), which has remained popular to this day. Other exercises like wenbaduan and yijinjing, which appeared in the Ming (1368-1644) and Oing ?1644-1911) dynasties, are a blend of qigong and massage.

Daoyin exercises have proved very effective in prolonging life. Dougong, a blind musician during the reign of Emperor Wendi of the Western Han Dynasty, kept practising daoyin until he died at the ripe old age of over 100. Sun Simiao, a noted medical expert of the Tang Dynasty (618- 907), performed doayin three times a day and lived to an age of 110. Lu You, a celebrated scholar of the Song Dynasty, was still going strong when he was well over 80. No wonder daoyin was called an art for achieving longevity in ancient times.

chinese culture: Juedixi -Ancient Chinese Gymnastics

Juedixi, an ancient form of gymnastics, became very popular in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). A combination of ancient Chinese culture, art and sports, it corporated dances, music, acrobatics, conjuring and wrestling.

In 108 BC, the third year of the Yuanfeng Reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, a juedixi performance was held in the capital of Chang' an, drawing spectators, men and women, young and old, from as far as 150 kilometres away. Such shows were often staged by the mperor in honour of foreign guests, contributing to cultural and sports exchanges between China and other' countries as well as among various ethnic groups at home.

Han Dynasty pictures inscribed on stones and bricks depict graceful and difficult gymnastic stunts such as standing on a single hand, hanging inverted on a horse cart or a high pole, and handstands on a tight rope.

chinese culture: weightlifting and Dancing

A great variety of contests of strength have been recorded in Chinese history books. As early as the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770 -221 BC), two forms of contest called "qiao guan" and "kang ding" had taken shape. "Qiao guan" was a kind of weightlifting in which "guan, "a heavy door bar, was lifted by a man grasping it by one end with a single hand. In "kang ding," a meat -cooking vessel, or "ding," was lifted by holding its two loop handles. "Kang ding" was most widely practised in the State of Qin, where a famous muscle man named Wuhuo reportedly lifted a vessel weighing 500 kilograms. Professional" kang ding" activities began to appear in the Han Dynasty (206 BC -AD 220), along with other forms of weightlifting such as pulling up a tree and lifting a deer. "Qiao guan" remained in vogue up till the Tang Dynasty (618 -907), but it was then no longer a contest of strength among imperial court warriors. Instead, it became a subject of cadet examinations, and door bars were replaced by weights that were made according to pre- scribed specifications. Stone objects weighing 100, 125 and 150 kilograms came into use in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644 -1911) dynasties. As stone objects were easy to make and popularize, weightlifting using stone locks and stone bars became a traditional sport among the populace.

In ancient times dancing was inseparably linked with sports. Even today there are certain similarities between the two.

Ancient Chinese dances were meant for both recreational and physical training purposes. according to historical records, the humid climate at the time of the Tribe of Yin Kang between 5000 and 4000 BC caused many people to suffer from atrophy and so dances were created to exercise joints and ward off disease.

Dances were performed as a rite in slave society. They prospered both in variety and style during the Western and Eastern Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties (AC 265 -580), when highly difficult stunts such as the wrestler's bridge, split of the legs. and lifting of a partner were developed. These played an important part in the evolution of certain movements in some sports events which appeared in later periods, such as gymnastics and martial arts, The Sui and Tang Dynasties (581- 907) were the golden age of ancient dances. Some Tang dances were closely integrated with sports.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was a kind of group dancing that was designed to perform various patterns on the floor. To the accompaniment of music, dancers moved around to form different Chinese character with auspicious meanings, in a way similar to group callisthenics of modern times.

chinese culture: Wrestling and Wushu

Chinese wrestling dates far back to very early times. It is said to have been used about five thousand years ago by the Chiyou tribes for training their soldiers. When China was unified by the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC, wrestling was adopted as an important exercise in military training. After the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties (AD 220- 589), wrestling gradually developed into a competitive, recreational sport.

In the Tang Dynasty (AD 618- 907) there were professional wrestlers and special platforms for wrestling contests in imperial palaces. By the Song Dynasty (960- 1279) professional wrestlers began to appear among the populace and platforms were erected for national contests. In the Qing Dynasty (1644- 1911) there was a battalion of professional wrestlers called Shan Pu Ying whose members performed at all important banquets.

There were many different styles of wrestling in ancient China, with a great variety of names as well. This may be seen from the images recorded in cultural relics of different! periods. Lacquer paintings unearthed in Hubei Province and murals on the ancient tombs at Donggou, Jilin Province, show pictures of two naked men locked in wrestling resembling modern Japanese sumo. Pictures on bronze articles unearthed at Keshengzhuang, Shanxi Province, show a variety of wrestling skills such as catching, holding, tumbling, tripping, throwing and rolling, which can be seen in modern Chinese-style wrestling.

Wushu, with its mysterious Oriental flavour, is regarded as the quintessence of physical culture. Often referred to as "arts of fighting with eighteen kinds of weapons," it is distinguished by three salient features: usefulness for combat, benefits to health, and fascinating movements.

Wushu dates back to primitive society where people used clubs and other primitive tools to fight wild animals. In the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770- 221 BC), wushu became more combative in nature as more weapons came into use. It also attracted more attention with its beneficial effects on health. Wushu contests and performances were popular in the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC-AD 220). The sword dances performed by Xiang Bo and Xiang Zhuang at "A Banquet at Hongmen Gate" as described by Sima Oian in his Historical Records were actually a show of attack and defence in swordplay. The imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty (618- 907) for identifying martial arts talent stimulated the growth of wushu activities in society. By the Ming Dynasty ( 1368-1644 ), many schools of wushu, each with its own distinctive features, had developed across the country. One of these was the Shaolin school, which owes its name to the world-famous Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.

chinese culture: Polo and Cuju (Ball-Kicking)

Polo, also called "jiju" in ancient times, was most popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). All the 16 monarchs from Emperor Zhongzong who took power in the year 705 to Emperor Zhaozong who ascended the throne in 889 were polo enthusiasts. Some of them were even highly skilled players. Many high-ranking officials had luxurious polo fields in their own gardens. Measuring 1, 000 paces long and 100 paces wide, the field was sprayed allover with oil to prevent the galloping horses from kicking up dust. There were also many polo lovers among scholar. According to historical records, a polo match at the Moon- light Chamber was one of the gala events for celebrating success in the highest imperial examination. Being favoured by emperors, nobles and scholars, polo became a fashion in those days.

Polo also served as a military exercise in the army. All prefectural governors had standard polo fields for training troops. The use of polo for military training lasted for many generations, and the game was always played in reviewing troops. It was not until the Oing Dynasty ( 1644-1911) that polo gradually declined in popularity.

Cuju, or "ball-kicking," was an ancient Chinese game similar to present- day football. It has a recorded history of more than 2,500 years. A book titled" Twenty-Five Articles on Cuju" was written during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), when the game was played by teams on fields equipped with goals, the matches being supervised by judges following prescribed rules. Methods of play underwent great changes in the Tang Dynasty! ( 618-907 ). Players of the two opposing sides did not come into contact with each other, but were separated by a net about a dozen metres high, on the top of which was a round goal about one third of a metre in diameter. The side which scored more goals was the winner. The ball was made of eight pieces of smooth hide sewn together. Inflated with an animal bladder, it could be kicked to a height of a dozen metres.

In the Song Dynasty (960-1127), cuju was often presented as a performing art. The players, juggling the ball with all parts of the body except the hands, performed scores of stunts at a stretch without letting the ball fall on the ground. Many cuju performers appeared and formed their own society --Oi Yun She. Books on the game were published, but only three titles have been handed down to this day.

Women were also involved in cuju during the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. Some were professional performers. The game gradually declined in the mid-Oing Dynasty (1644-1911).

chinese culture: Swimming and Dragon Boat Racing

The word "swimming" can be found in a verse in the" Book of Songs, " Chinese earliest collection of poems. It reflects the practice of the sport in ancient times. Ancients swimming against swift currents are also described in books of the pre-Qin periods (prior to 221 BC). Swimmers are seen in an amphibious battle vividly portrayed in the designs of an unearthed bronze pot of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). Four women frolicking in the water are pictured in one mural of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534) in the grottoes of Dunhuang.

The superb swimming skills in ancient China were best demonstrated at aquatic meets on the Oiantang River in Zhejiang Province. Historical records have it that on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month every year, when high tides surged forward with the momentum of an avalanche at the mouth of the Oiantang River, local young people would swim against the mighty waves, some holding up coloured flags while" bobbing and swirling ahead with a hundred strokes, " some standing on small boats and manoeuvring their way through the mounting waves with perfect ease. This was what was called "playing with the tides. "

With abundant rivers and lakes, China boasts many good swimmers. Even today old swimming styles like "goupashi" (dog paddle), "zhamengzi" (head-long diving) and "biandanfu" (treading water) are still quite popular among the people.

As a traditional activity, dragon boat racing has retained its popularity to this day, especially in regions to the south of the Yangtze River. Legend has it that Qu Yuan (c 340-278 BC), a great poet of the Warring States period, was drowned in the Miluo River in Hunan Province on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month before the local people rushed to the scene by boat in an effort to rescue him. Since then, dragon boat races have been held on that day every year to commemorate Qu Yuan's death.

Dragon boat races were held on a large scale in the Tang Dynasty (618- 907). On such an occasion, a dozen boats went off like so many shots at the starting order, each striving to outpace the other amid the beating of drums on the vessels and cheers of onlookers on the banks.

Emperors of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) made it a rule to watch dragon boat races when they reviewed their water-borne troops. The winners were not only given handsome awards but gained high fame.

chinese culture: The Buda Game of the Tang and Song Dynasties

Buda was a ball game which was almost as popular as polo in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Called "chuiwan" (ball-beating) in the Liao and Jin dynasties (916-1234), it is driven with a stick to holes on the ground in very much the same way as the modern game of golf. It was a favourite diversion with palace the maids, who liked to play it on the Hanshi Festival (one day before the 5th solar term of Prue Brightness) .

The game developed into a competitive sport in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368). A monograph on the ball game, written in the early Yuan Dynasty, describes in detail the specifications of the playing field and apparatus as well as the playing rules of Buda. The game gained even greater popularity in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), especially among young people in cities. Scenes of Buda play are depicted in the scroll painting "Ming Dynasty Emperor Xuan Zong in Merrymaking " and the traditional Chinese painting of beautiful women done by Ming Dynasty painter Du Dong, both of which are now kept in Beijing' s Palace Museum. By the Oing Dynasty ( 1644-1911 ), however. the game was rarely played.

Games on Ice
IN ancient China, games on ice and snow were quite popular in the northern parts of the country. History books say that people of the Nanshiwei ethnic group living near the Changbai Mountains "rode on wooden boards and sped over the ice, often for hundreds of paces at a stretch."

Nurhachi (1559-1626), father of the first emperor of the Oing Dynasty ( 1644-1911), he had skating included in his military training programme when he set up the state of Jin in his native place in northeast China. After occupying areas to the south of the Shanhaiguan Pass, he made it a rule to review his troops on skates.

During the Oing Dynasty, big sports meets on ice were held around Winter Solstice (22nd solar term) every year in the Taiyi Pool (present-day Beihai Park and Zhongnanhai Lake in Beijing). Three kinds of games were contested: First, speed skating which involved 1, 000-odd contestants skating over a certain distance in given postures; second, figure skating in which the skaters performed highy difficult stunts on the ice; and third, kicking a ball on ice, contested by dozens of people divided into two sides.

In addition to the games on ice played in the imperial palace, skating of various descriptions was also popular among the folks in northern China.

According to historical records, boots with skates were already in use at that time. "Those gliding over the ice wore boots with sharp iron blades underneath. They sped off like shooting stars or lightning, vying to be the first to come home. "