Vol. 2, No.2 - April 4, 2002
TOPICS THIS ISSUE:
- China Seeks Spillover from Neighbors' World Cup
- China's State TV Buys Rights to Broadcast World Cup in 2002 and 2006
- Chinese Soccer Fans Riot
- Bank Loan for Olympic Venues Construction
- Design Competition for Olympic Facilities
China Seeks Spillover from Neighbors' World Cup
Chinese football aims to do its best in the World Cup finals to be co-hosted by South Korea and Japan, and so does the Chinese tourism. It is an unbeatable temptation for Chinese tourism operators as more than 3.5 million fans are expected to flood into neighboring Japan and South Korea for the premier soccer tournament starting on May 31.
"Since fans from all over the world come to our neighbors, why not invite them to be our guests, "said Li Jichen, international marketing director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau (BTB).
Beijing, the Chinese capital that will host the 2008 0lympic Games, came to the forefront in the bid to win over traveling fans.
They began their promotion from the Great Wall, which reads " You have come to Asia and the Great Wall is just at your foot", making use of such world-famous historical places as the selling point.
The soccer legend Pele was invited to the Great Wall to play Cuju, one of China's ancient sports which experts believe is the oldest form of soccer.
BTB said that they staged this event with strong belief that there is a great market between sport and tourism.
Li added that it is a boost to their World Cup campaign that foreign tourist groups have been able to get visas directly at Chinese ports of entry from January 1 this year.
(Source: People's Daily)
China's State TV Buys Rights to Broadcast World Cup in 2002 and 2006
State-owned China Central Television (CCTV) has bought the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2002 and 2006 football World Cups to the country's hundreds of millions of viewers, reports said Saturday.
CCTV bought the rights from German company Kirch, who has the global rights, according to Ma Guoli, director of CCTV's sports department.
Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said CCTV was expected to pay between 12 and 15 million dollars for the rights.
This year's World Cup is expected to attract unprecedented attention in China since it is the first time China's national team has made it to the finals of the sporting event.
China has an estimated 80 million football fans, and at least 60,000 are expected to make their way to South Korea where the national team will play.
(Source: People's Daily)
Chinese Soccer Fans Riot
Hundreds of Chinese fans, angered by a referee's decision, set fire to stadium seats and torched a police van before riot police used batons and high-pressure fire hoses to disperse them, witnesses said.
Fans in the western city of Xi'an were upset during a Jia A (first division) match between Shaanxi's Lijun Guoli and Qingdao's Yizhong when the referee awarded a late penalty for tripping to Qingdao.
Qingdao converted the penalty kick and the game was drawn 3-3.
Enraged fans shouted abuse and accused the referee of fixing the game before some set fire to the blue upholstery of the stadium seats, witnesses said.
Several fires sent thick plumes of black smoke into the sky, prompting officials to drive a fire truck on to the pitch to put out the blazes. Water hoses were used to force fans away from the playing area.
Fans outside the stadium threw rocks and bottles before some torched a police van, witnesses added.
Anger by fans towards the sport has simmered following revelations last October of match fixing by players and referees involving five Jia B (second division) teams.
Soccer violence is not new to China. Shaanxi Guoli fans also rioted in 2000 over a disputed penalty, prompting officials to fine the team and bar them from playing home games for the rest of the season.
(Source: Xinhua News Agency)
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Bank Loan for Olympic Venues Construction
The China Construction Bank (CCB) announced on Friday that it would provide five billion yuan in loans for construction of sports venues for the 2008 Olympic Games.
A spokesman for CCB said that according to the agreement reached between the bank and the Land Reserve Center of Beijing, the CCB would provide a credit line of five billion yuan for the center to carry out preliminary development of a 2.91-square kilometer area in the Olympic Park.
He said that this move would both help promote the smooth development of Olympic projects and enable the CCB to display its advantage in fixed asset investment.
The CCB had listed financial services for Olympic projects as a key business and had formulated preferential in this respect.
(Source: 2008 Olympic Committee)
Design Competition for Olympic Facilities
The Beijing Municipal Planning Commission will solicit the conceptual planning and design schemes for Beijing Olympic Green and Beijing Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center.
The Beijing Olympic Green and Beijing Wukesong Cultural and Sports Center are two large-scale sports areas designated for holding the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing. In order to achieve the aim of "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics" and make the two sites the best places not only for sports competition, but also multi-functional centers for the long-term development of the city, the Beijing Municipal Planning Commission would like to have designers both from China and abroad, who are enthusiastic about the Olympic Games, full of innovation and have rich experience in planning and design, to compete for the planning and design of these two projects.
Located in the north tip of the central axis, the Beijing Olympic Green will be built into a multi-functional area and a lively public center with sports, cultural, exhibition, entertainment and sightseeing facilities complimented with business, hotel and conference services.
The project will cover an area approximately 1,135 hectares, out of which about 680 hectares will be the Forest Area, 405 hectares for the Olympic Central Area, and around 50 hectares for the Chinese Ethnic Culture Park and part for the Beizhongzhou Road.
Facilities of about 2.16 million square meters will be constructed to the north of the Fourth Ring Road in the Olympic Central Area. About 400,000 square meters will be utilized to build stadiums (a National Stadium with 80,000 seats; a National Gymnasium with 18,000 seats and a National Swimming Center with 15,000 seats) and auxiliary commercial facilities; 200,000 square meters for cultural facilities; another 400,000 square meters for convention and exhibition facilities; 360,000 square meters for athlete apartments and 800,000 square meters for business and service facilities (business and commercial affairs, hotels, entertainment, etc.).
The competition is opened to all qualified design firms; the two proposals will be assessed separately. Designers can select and design one of the two projects or both projects.
(Source: 2008 Olympic Committee)
Lehman Lee & Xu
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