Here are some photos the LPGA won’t show you… Sandra Gal of Germany was among those wearing a face mask for Round 3 of the Reignwood LPGA Classic [UPDATE: as well as for Round 4, with Jessica Korda and Jodi Ewart also posing wearing masks].
Continue reading Beijing smog hits LPGA Tour event, players take action [PHOTOS]
Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old kid who made the cut at the Masters, might be China’s most famous golfer, but Feng Shanshan is undoubtedly China’s best golfer right now (or ever, for that matter). She won the 2012 LPGA Championship to become the country’s first golfer – male or female – to win a major. More than a year later she is finally getting some recognition at home.
Below is my feature for That’s Beijing on Mike Tyson, who was recently in town to promote a cold/flu supplement that he will never use since, as he proudly announced, he has never had a cold. He was typically enthusiastic, despite admitting alcoholism just days before, and covered a range of topics – obesity, racing pigeons and 10-foot giants. Here’s an extract:
[UPDATE: As Beijing Cream has noticed, T-Mac has added another post on his Weibo account, which reads:
Just want you all to know Yang Yi is lying to the China press about me. Any information from him are false to promote his clients. I love China and will always be faithful to all my fans. Peace!
Yang Yi is the Senior Basketball Editor at Titan Sports and a former NBA commentator for CCTV who became known for dropping Yao Ming’s name at every opportunity. Still doesn’t sound like McGrady will be playing in China any time soon, though…]
Following news that Yi Jianlian will not be going from the CBA to the NBA anytime soon comes news that Tracy McGrady won’t be making the opposite journey either.
After spending the end of last season on the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, T-Mac retired from the NBA, shortly after posting this message on his Sina Weibo account: Continue reading T-Mac rules out CBA return, slams Chinese media [UPDATED]
Here’s a look back at last’s month National Games, held in China every four years. I’ve written before about the ludicrous medal system that meant Heilongjiang province had amassed 43 medals before the Games even kicked off and how Sun Yang effectively racked up 11 medals. But the reason for all this medal mania is largely down to local sports officials who assume (usually correctly) that their promotion prospects depend on a nice haul of metal from their athletes, sort of like a sporting parallel to how local governments seek inflated GDP numbers. This leads to all sorts of tricks, including the trading of athletes between provinces. Here’s an extract:
Mengke Bateer is one of Inner Mongolia’s most famous sporting sons – sporting or otherwise. But the first Chinese basketball player to win an NBA Championship is the ultimate homer, representing represented host province Shandong Province in 2009 as well as host provinceand Liaoning Province in 2013. How do Inner Mongolians feel when they see him representing another province instead of their own? What do those in Shandong or Liaoning think when they know that they have sporting mercenaries instead of locals representing them?
Full article is here.
The star-studded line-up that is the China Open (Djokovic, Nadal, Serena, Sharapova et al) is underway, with an intriguing match on Monday between China’s breakout star of recent weeks Zhang Shuai, who won the Guangzhou Open and reached the final of the Yinzhou Bank International Women’s Tennis Open in Ningbo last week, and Peng Shuai, a member of the old guard [UPDATE: Zhang Shuai won 6-3, 6-3]. Elsewhere, 2010 champion Caroline Wozniacki raised a few smiles with her discussion about her favorite opponent, Bye.
Things kicked off last week with a fun game between Li Na and Novak Djokovic that was more entertainment than tennis. Below is my Sports Talk take. Li Na continues to lead the Chinese women on the world stage. If only the men could catch up… Continue reading Li Na crushes Djokovic in China Open opener
McLaren is the latest company to join the ranks of the top-end car market in China, two years after starting production worldwide. Dealerships opened in Shanghai 10 days ago, and in Beijing last week (pictures here), with new showrooms opening this week in Chengdu and Guangzhou.
With around 30,000 new millionaires in China created each year, plenty of people can afford these models, though the ultra-luxury market (which includes the likes of Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and Maserati) is estimated at 5,000 per year in China. Of more concern is the fact that growth – as fast as 100% annually in recent years – is expected to slow significantly. In addition, these car are often in the news for all the wrong reasons, another sign that sales may fall off. Continue reading Corruption crackdown in China provides road bump for luxury car makers
Zhang Shuai has become just the fifth Chinese player to win a WTA singles title. Li Na has eight titles, Zheng Jie has four, Yan Zi and Sun Tiantian each have one, and now Zhang joins that elite group after a 7-6, 6-1 win over American Vania King in the final of the Guangzhou Open. Interestingly, Peng Shuai has never won a WTA singles title despite having been as high as 14 in the world rankings.
McLaren has arrived in China. The British-based race car firm opened its Shanghai dealership last week, before opening in Beijing this week. Further showrooms in Chengdu (September 24) and Guangzhou (September 27) will follow.
There are three models on offer:
I had the chance togo to the Beijing opening and all three look pretty special up close, as you would expect for those prices. The P1, named for the top position on the starting grid, is limited to 375 cars, hence the $2 million price tag. Pictures below are courtesy of McLaren.
Continue reading McLaren Automotive opens showroom in Beijing [PICTURES]
While it will likely have none of the animosity of that famous showdown between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs (which, incidentally, was 40 years ago this week), Beijing will stage its own Battle of the Sexes on Friday September 27 when women’s world no. 5 Li Na will play men’s world no. 1 Novak Djokovic at the National Tennis Center in northern Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of the China Open.
