May was a busy month.
In addition to covering motor racing series for Fox Sports Asia in Zhuhai, Korea and Shanghai, I’ve been on BBC TV and CRI radio talking about Li Na’s early exit from the French Open. I’ve also been quoted by CNBC talking about F1’s failings in China as well as about China’s bleak World Cup prospects after a Goldman Sachs report said China wouldn’t qualify for another two decades.
China Daily’s Asia Weekly supplement featured my thoughts on the development of the sports industry in China, while this website’s report on Ford becoming an official partner of the Chinese Super League was picked up and/or quoted by SportsPro, SportBusiness, Goal.com, World Football Insider, Asia Sponsorship News and even the Italian-language Sport Business Management.
And then there were my weekly Sports Talk columns on:
- How cycling governing body threw China under the bus
- How the NBA’s swift action against Donald Sterling’s racism highlights inaction elsewhere, including China
- Why NBC’s deal with the IOC could help Beijing’s 2022 Olympic bid
- A new US-China swimming rivalry
- The never-ending quest to find China’s next sports star
Meanwhile, there have been some pretty significant sports stories developing:
- The 2022 Olympics, already predicted on these pages to be a two-horse race between Beijing and Almaty, is looking even more that way after Krakow pulled out.
- Taiwanese-American Sam Chien leads the PGA Tour China Series standings after the first three tournaments, but China’s two Nike-endorsed golfers Zhang Xinjun and Li Haotong are both in the top 5 and therefore on course to qualify for next year’s Web.com Tour in the US.
- And Formula E, set to launch in Beijing’s Olympic Park in September, has secured coverage on China’s national broadcaster CCTV for the entire season, though many remain skeptical that the race will go ahead as planned.
Please stay tuned to China Sports Insider in the coming weeks and months for the latest on these, and other, stories – and expect more regular updates as life returns to normal…!
