www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

  English>News Center>Sports
         
 

China to take a swing at first league
(7)
Updated: 2002-04-18 11:29

China is nearing first base in its bid to bring big-league baseball to a nation where most sports fans do not know a shortstop from a backstop, with a pilot league ready to swing into action next week.

The Beijing Tigers will take the field against the Tianjin Lions on the morning of April 26 in Guangzhou in China's first official league game, Chinese Baseball Association spokeswoman Shen Wei said on Wednesday.

"It's going to be a double-header," an enthusiastic Shen told Reuters by telephone. "The Shanghai Eagles play the Guangzhou Lightning that afternoon."

The four state-run clubs hold the best of a small but growing crop of talent on the Chinese mainland, where baseball lags far behind Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in terms of level of play.

Fan base lags even further behind -- there is virtually none.

But hopes that China could become a breeding ground for north America's pastime were raised last August when the Seattle Mariners made pitcher Wang Chao, then 16, the nation's first player to sign with a Major League Baseball organisation.

There would be other pitchers with Major League potential on the mound in league contests, promised Shen. "Definitely."

ROUND-ROBIN TOUR

An American marketing outfit is helping Chinese baseball authorities to launch the league, which is currently non-professional, said Shen.

Their first season is set to last only one month, as China's players hang up their cleats in late spring.

The teams will tour their four hometowns playing a robin-robin format with a prize of $180,000 for China's first champions.

All the games will be televised either nationally or locally but it was too early for the league to even consider team sponsorship or advertising at stadiums, said Shen.

"If the level of play still stands at the level it does now, then I'm afraid that to talk about turning professional is nonsense," said Shen.

She said the league would focus on honing skill levels in its debut season.

"We like the look of the market but that doesn't mean to say we can turn professional just by publicising it for a couple of years," she said.

NEW MARKETS

Baseball was first played on Chinese soil a century ago and became an official sport at the national games in 1959. China's woman's softballers are perennial world championship contenders.

But while there are now more than 50 baseball training schools nationwide, the country is still sorely lacking in qualified coaches and players. Hitting and fielding are said to be particular weaknesses.

Each team in the new league could keep three foreign players on their roster, said Shen.

The new league is part of China's larger drive to beef up its sporting arsenal ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and open new markets as a new member of the World Trade Organisation, the baseball association said in a press release on Monday.

State media said the national team aimed to make the quarter-finals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and place in the top six at the 2008 Games.

Shen said China would be able to challenge its big-hitting East Asian rivals in due time.

"We can definitely surpass them in the future," said Shen.

"We have the physique for baseball...and Chinese people are very smart," she said. "To play baseball, you have to have wisdom."



Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells
Commonwealth Games Swimming
Selected Reuters Sports Pictures on March 13
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Manchester United gains on Chelsea
   
  UEFA Cup loses top-name clubs
   
  Cuba celebrates win over Puerto Rico, advances in Classic
   
  Els moves into Bay Hill contention with 67
   
  World Cup to boost Japanese economy by $4 billion
   
  Alonso confident; Fisichella apologizes
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 久久99久久99精品 | 鲁丝一区二区三区不属 | 国产成人精品日本亚洲语音1 | 亚洲欧美在线视频免费 | 欧美日本一二三区 | 中国三级网站 | 国产精品久久久久国产精品 | 一区二区三区在线免费看 | 欧美色视频日本片免费高清 | 亚洲美女视频网站 | 日本欧美视频 | 黄色国产网站 | 国产男女交性视频播放免费bd | 男人的天堂网在线 | 国产手机免费视频 | 亚洲欧美日韩久久一区 | 丝袜美腿精品一区二区三 | 一级毛片看一个 | 欧美aaa大片| 好看的看黄a大片爽爽影院 好男人天堂网 | 成人在线中文字幕 | 女人张开腿等男人桶免费视频 | 91色久 | 欧美影院久久 | 在线观看国产精品入口 | 夜夜爽影院 | 午夜香蕉网 | 久久精品国产99久久72 | 美女张开腿让男人操 | 久草在线最新 | 精品一区二区三区高清免费不卡 | 久草在线视频在线观看 | 亚洲第一看片 | 狠狠干香蕉 | 窝窝午夜精品一区二区 | 欧美一区亚洲 | hdxxx色视频 hd欧美xxx欧美极品hd | 日本一级毛片在线看 | 日本亚洲成高清一区二区三区 | 成人在线手机视频 | 欧美1区二区三区公司 |