News roundup: CBA brawls, Yao, NBA TV, golf, doping
Tuesday, 14th April 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The last week has been a bit quiet here on CST. We apologize for that and bring you a quick roundup of some of the China's sports news from the past 10 days or so:Big fines in CBA playoff brawl
A total of 330,000 yuan ($48,290 USD) in fines were dished out to five players and two teams for a fight during a Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) playoff game last week. The Guangdong Tigers routed Shandong Gold, 126-79, in Game 3 of the first-round game. The CBA's been a little rowdy this year, and Chinese basketball officials blame it on new rules allowing for more physical play.
The fines, which were accompanied by short suspensions (two and three games for Guangdong players), don't seem to have hurt the Tigers, who went on to win their first second-round game over Dongguan, moving Yi Jianlian's former team one step closer to its fifth championship. The Guangdong roster includes NBA veteran Smush Parker and four members of China's 2008 Olympic team.
Rockets surging, Yao aching
The oft-injured Yao Ming gave Houston Rockets fans a scare when he sat out a game last week with a sore right foot. But 42-year-old center Dikembe Mutombo did exactly what he was brought in for, giving Yao a break and posting 10 points, 15 boards and four blocks last Friday in a win over Golden State. Yao returned to the lineup after tests showed his pain was just due to a bruise, and paced the Rockets with 22 points in a win over the Charlotte Hornets in their final home game. The Rockets lead the Southwest Division and are neck-and-neck with the San Antonio Spurs for third in the West.
NBA TV China
The NBA announced plans for two reality shows in China. The first will be a cheerleading competition airing on CCTV-5 (China's national sports channel) starting May 9. Brewing company Tsing Tsao is the NBA's partner for the show, in which the cheerleaders compete for a trip to train with an NBA cheering team. The second show, sponsored by China Mengniu Dairy, will be a basketball competition broadcast on Shandong Satellite TV. Airing on Fridays starting May 22, NBA Mengniu Basketball Disciple will feature young hoop dreamers competing for a shot at the NBA D-League.
Han gets assist in Sol win
Chinese striker Han Duan notched her first assist for the Los Angeles of the new Women's Professional Soccer league. The Sol beat Sky Blue FC (New York/New Jersey) to improve to 2-0. Han also had a shot on goal but came up short. The Sol play again on Sunday, April 19, against FC Gold Pride.
Doping swimmers suspended
The Chinese Swimming Association announced it would suspended five junior swimmers for two years for testing positive for anabolic steroids last June. The suspensions of Qu Jing, Liu Bingyao, Zuo Ziqiao, Fu Bo and Hu Shaozhi are retroactively effective to the date of the tests, meaning that they are already nearly halfway through their suspensions and will return with plenty of time left to train for the 2012 Olympics. Why did it take so long to issue the suspensions? That old excuse, "the Olympics." Ouyang Kunpeng, once China's top backstroker, was banned for life by the Chinese Swimming Association just weeks before the 2008 Olympics, after a positive anabolic steroids test.
Liang plays his way into fourth major
Liang Wenchong, China's most accomplished golfer to date, qualified for the British Open at a qualifying event in Singapore. Liang finished second in the qualifying tournament to earn a spot at the Open in July. Liang played in the British Open last year--it was his third Major and the first one in which he made the cut. He also played in last year's Masters and the 2007 PGA Championship (Liang makes British Open cut).
Women fail to qualify for China Open
Four women took part in qualifying competitions for the European Tour-sanctioned Volvo China Open, but none were able to qualify. Among the women looking to qualify were Wang Chun (China.org), who qualified for the Japan LPGA Tour in 2007, and Ye Zhaoying, once the world's top female badminton player (Reuters).
Tags: basketball, football, golf, Han Duan, Houston Rockets, Liang Wenchong, NBA, Ouyang Kunpeng, soccer, swimming, Tsingtsao, Yao Ming
Liang makes British Open cut
Monday, 21st July 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Playing in his third major, Liang finally made the cut at Royal Birkdale with an eight-over-par 148 over the first two rounds. Liang, currently number one on the Asian Tour, shot a 77 and a 74 on the last two rounds, ending with an overall score of 299, 19 over par. He finished in a three-way tie for 64th place.
"I'm happy overall. This is my first time at The Open and I made it through the weekend," Liang said, according to this report from the Omega China Tour. "A tournament like this is a great learning experience. You learn to be patient and I'll take this experience and apply it in future tournaments. I can become better."
Liang competed in last year's PGA Championship and this April's Masters, missing the cut both times. He is the first Chinese player at the Open Championship. This year, he will play in three US PGA Tour events, the Canadian Open, the Reno-Tahoe Open and the Wyndham Championship.
For more on Liang, see this recent Golf Digest feature: Golf in the Year of the Rat
Image: Omega China Tour
Tags: British Open, golf, Liang Wenchong, Omega China Tour, Open Championship
Darren Clarke Wins BMW Open
Monday, 28th April 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Clarke took a two-stroke lead over Derksen after the 14th hole, but proceeded to bogey 16 and 17 to head to the 18th in a tie with Derksen. Clarke then birdied 18 for the win and the US$383,330 purse, with a final 8-under-par 280 over four rounds.
"Sometimes things are meant to happen, sometimes not. I guess today was my day," said Clarke. "I was thinking of getting it to the hole (on the 18th) and I wasn't going to lag it up. I putted nicely this week, and wanted to give myself a chance on the last and I hit a solid putt. It was tracking six foot out and sometimes it's meant to go in."
At 5 under par, Li Wen-Tang from Taiwan finished in a three-way tie for third place with Italy's Francesco Molinari and Englishman Robert Dinwiddie. China's top player, Liang Wenchong, finished 14th at even par.
The tournament is part of a China marketing strategy for BMW that has the goal of double-digit sales growth in the Middle Kingdom this year, according to this report in Forbes magazine. It is also part of a broader sports marketing strategy for the automaker, which this month put on the BMW Formula Europe Formula 1 racing event and the BMW Sailing Cup.
In the photo with Clarke are flight attendants from Dubai–based Emirates Airline, another major sponsor of the event.
Tags: BMW China Open, golf, Li Wen-Tang, Liang Wenchong, Shanghai Tomson Pudong Golf Club
The Masters' China Play is Liang's Opportunity of a Lifetime
Thursday, 3rd April 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
That's good news for Liang Wenchong of Guangdong province, one of three Asian players who received an invite to The 2008 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia April 7-13. Liang is ranked 111th in the world; Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng is number 93; Jeev Milkha Singh is ranked 80th. These guys would not have been invited based on their performance alone. In addition to promoting general interest in the game in those three countries, their inclusion in golf's premier event will reap the more immediate reward of increased TV viewership for the event's Asia broadcasts.
The commercial motivation for Liang's invite is no secret. Augusta chairman Billy Payne told the UK Guardian: "They are outstanding representatives of their respective countries. This is also another component in our objective of growing the game of golf worldwide utilising the Masters brand. We think the interest in golf in each country will heighten when these players compete in the Masters." The tournament is being promoted in China with ads featuring Liang with Tiger Woods. The chance to see the kid from Guangdong tee off with Tiger is sure to get a lot of people here excited enough to watch the tournament.
Less excited about the decision is 44-year-old Scottish professional golfer Colin Montgomerie, who has not been invited. "There has been no call from Augusta and I am not expecting one," he said. "Now, if I were the only person in the country, à la China, I might get in. It is a strange way to make up a field for a Major championship—television rights. They are quite open about why."
At a rank of 75, Montgomerie wasn't good enough to get an automatic bid. Those go to the top 50 players in the world, and to players who meet one of several other criteria, such as winning the British Open. But Augusta also extends special invites at its own discretion, and Montgomerie feels robbed because he didn't get one of those.
Montgomerie's been written off as a whiner by some sports media. As for us here at China Sports Today, we will be tuning in to see what two guys can do next week: One's named Tiger and the other is Liang.
Image: Omega China Tour
Tags: golf, Liang Wenchong