CHINA SPORTS MARKETING NEWSLETTER
Vol. 1, No.6 - December 3, 2001
TOPICS THIS ISSUE:
- Three Athletes Kicked Out of China's National Games
- China's Entry Into WTO Affects Sports in China
- China's Sporting Infrastructure Needs to Improve to Be Successful in 2008
- Chinese Coaching Guru Expects Gold at 2004 Olympics
Three Athletes Kicked Out of China's National Games
It was recently reported that game officials kicked three athletes out of the Chinese National Games for doping offenses.
The athletes banned from the games participated in two different sports. Skull's rower Long Shengzhong, who helped the men's quadruple sculls crew from the southern province of Guizhou to seventh place, tested positive for steroids. Track and field athlete Sun Jiawei and cyclist Pan Guangchun were disqualified for abnormal blood test results.
Long, the fourth rower to be banded from the games also faces disciplinary action from the Chinese Rowing Association.
Over 13 athletes have been banded from the quadrennial games in the southern city of Guangzhou after failing or having abnormal test results.
Doping scandals have become commonplace with Chinese athletics since 1994, particularly in women's swimming and long-distance running.
Chinese sports authorities have cracked down in recent years to counter allegations that they were running a doping program similar to that of the former communist East Germany.
As China is hosting the Olympic Games in 2008, Chinese sports officials have been stepping up their efforts to eliminate dropping problems in Chinese sports.
(Source: Reuters)
China's Entry Into WTO Affects Sports in China
China's Olympic Committee is of the opinion that China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will have a profound effect on the country's hosting of sports events.
"With China's entry into the WTO, sports contests will be opened wider to foreign investors, which will in turn be a boost to the domestic sports industry," said Wu Shouzhang, vice-chairman of the China Olympic Committee.
He added that when the domestic sports market expands, more exciting world matches and world-sporting celebrities will be attracted to the country.
He said that although overseas businesses will be an attraction for domestic capital and will post a challenge to home companies, it would help activate the sporting market and push the industry towards market orientation.
The domestic sports industry is widely recognized and has great potential to attract businesses.
In the United States, the sports industry accounts for 2 per cent of its gross domestic product, compared with less than 0.2 per cent in China.
Wu said experienced foreign companies in the sports business would help mature and standardize operations like sponsorship, broadcasting and advertising in the sports market.
"The sports industry is expected to be a new focal point of the country's economic growth fuelled by China's WTO accession," Wu said.
Although the sports match sector stands to enjoy unprecedented opportunities brought about by the historic change, sports goods manufacturers will have to face severe challenges from their overseas counterparts, according to Yu Zaiqin, vice-director of the Sports Equipment Department of the State General Sports Administration.
The WTO accession will certainly come with gifts for Chinese sports goods producers, who are mostly in the garments and equipment-making fields, he said.
WTO membership will break down trade barriers and open up possibilities for overseas expansion.
China is already a major sports goods maker in the world. The global share is certain to be boosted after the country becomes a member of the world economic body.
"But in the domestic market, the unease is mostly about Chinese sports products companies, unlike the automobile and telecommunications industries, which enjoy a certain degree of protection and co-ordination by government authorities and are not truly prepared to play with their international counterparts," Yu said.
The main concern is how to narrow the gap between domestic sporting goods and big-name foreign brands in terms of quality, technology and profit. The total import volume of sports goods will see a sharp rise after the large-scale invasion of foreign brands, he indicated.
The advantage of Chinese sporting goods is their lower cost, although most Chinese sports fans would prefer to be wearing designer labels.
"World giants such as Nike and Adidas are too strong to compete with," Yu said.
Yu suggested a sizable portion of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those which make up client orders on demand from raw materials, may have to withdraw from the home market.
"Larger domestic companies, such as gymnast Li Ning's sporting goods company, are expected to be able to compete with the global giants," he said.
"Sporting goods are different from other commodities and we should make full use of people's admiration for those stars who have won trophies for the country to create our own brand names," he suggested.
Some sporting celebrities have begun to join up with Chinese-made sporting goods manufacturers.
(Source Guangzhou Morning Post)
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China's Sporting Infrastructure Needs to Improve to Be Successful in 2008
Yuan Weimin, Minister of China's State General Administration of Sports, recently stated that China is still a long way from competing with those countries that are in the top flight of Olympic sports. China's sports chief has called on China to make every effort from this point to the Olympics to ensure that China will gain honors at the Beijing Games. He said that the task will be difficult as China has limited total number of sports teams, has less developed scientific training, and has a shortage of funds for the construction of training facilities.
Yuan pointed out that China should stick to the policy of "all for the Olympics," and the preparation and staging of the next national games in 2005 should be a preparation for this general target.
He went on to say that national teams should be keystones, while reserves including junior teams need to be established to support the national teams. He also added that more talented young athletes aged 12 to 17 should be recruited and efforts made for bringing them up to a higher level of ability through junior competitions.
Yuan stated that attention should be paid in such fields as the strengthening of China's traditional sports and the promotion of sports where Chinese have the potential to win international honors. He expressed hope that Chinese athletes would be successful in such major sports as track and field, swimming and aquatic events. He noted that although Chinese athletes have been somewhat successful through short-term efforts, more solid efforts in such popular team sports as soccer, basketball and volleyball and newly introduced Olympic sports was required if China expects to achieve success in 2008.
As part of China's over all sports plan, Yuan said it was also important for China to train management and organizational staff for sporting events and more resources would be devoted to those areas of sport organization. He felt that further reforms needed to be adopted for the national games and the national inter-city games to continue their success. He also added that sports authorities at various levels in the country should be mobilized for locating and bringing up potential athletes for the national teams as well as for China's preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games.
(Source: Peoples Daily)
Chinese Coaching Guru Expects Gold at 2004 Olympics
Chinese famed athletics coach Ma Junren expects winning gold medals in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Ma, having a rest with his athletes in the southern Chinese scenic city Guilin following China's Ninth National Games, stated that 10 of his proteges were strong contenders for gold medals in the 2004 Olympics.
To support his opinion he cited the examples of Dong Yanmei and the Liaoning provincial team. Dong Yanmei was clocked at 14:51:58 in the 5,000-meter event at the national games, better than the world championship's winning result and 0.3 seconds faster than that of Wang Junxia at the 1996 Olympics. The Liaoning provincial team has 10 promising athletes who are expected to win at next Olympics. Ma believes that youngsters like Gong Ke and Qi Haifeng will make impressive performances at the Olympics.
As the head coach of the Liaoning athletics team, Ma led his athletes to take all the gold medals in the women's middle and long-distance running events. In the women's marathon, 20km walk and the men's 10,000m, his athletes won nine out of 47 athletic gold medals.
Gong Ke won the men's 10,000m race in 28:59.21. Not long ago, he also "shone" in his marathon debut by winning the Beijing International Marathon on October 14, while Qi Haifeng smashed the national record in the men's decathlon with 8,021 points.
Although Ma's Army is still playing a dominant role in Chinese athletics, Ma does not think it will be easy to win Olympic gold. Ma is quoted as saying, "I would have retired if not for the great expectation of all the Chinese on Ma's Army. It is really difficult to win in the Olympics. Scientific training methods are important. What's more, we must train the athletes according to their caliber and depth,"
Ma is not alone in fighting for gold in the Olympics as China is determined to win medals in as many track and field events as possible.
Men and women walking, marathon and women's middle-long-distance running now top the Chinese sports authorities' priority list.
(Source:Xinhua)
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