Yao Ming Misses Chinese Sportsman of the Year

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 02, 2003

Yao Ming Misses Chinese Sportsman of the Year

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Li Xiaopeng Honored Best Male Athlete for 2002

The final winner of the title of "Sportsman of the Year" remained as a biggest question mark until the organizers of the China Sports Awards announced the result of the selection at a grand awarding ceremony Friday in Beijing.

And even after he was announced as the winner of the most attractive title, China's world champion gymnast Li Xiaopeng still could not believe he had been named.

The 21-year-old Li beat four other candidates, including the country's ace basketball player and star NBA player Yao Ming.

"All the nominees are great and it's really hard to tell who should be the final winner," Li said after the ceremony. "Actually I supposed that Yao may win the title, because no one can deny that basketball is a more popular sport than gymnastics in China. In our country, everyone including me like Yao Ming," he added.

Yang Yang Best Female Athlete for 2002

Yao, picked No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets in last year's draft, has become the first Asian to achieve stardom in the United States.

But the sportsman award is not equal to the most popular one. Former Olympic champion runner Wang Junxia said that the most important criteria is the nominees' international competitions results.

"Li Xiaopeng won six international titles last year, and I think he deserves the title, " said Wang, who was among the 80 sports specialists for the Awards.

The Olympic and world champion was also the winner of three golds in last year's Busan Asian Games.

Yao outpolled other nominees to win the title of "Most Popular Sportsman of the Year", although he failed to help China win an international title last year, especially at the Busan Asian Games.

Quotes from China Sports Awards Ceremony

Following are quotes from those present at the awarding ceremony Friday for the annual China Sports Awards, the Chinese version of the Laureus World Sports Awards:

"I don't feel surprised that (NBA star player) Yao Ming was named the 'Most Popular Sportsman of the Year'," said Olympic diving champion Tian Liang, who was named "Sportsman of the Year" last year.

"I myself like him also. I think he deserves the title," he said.

"It's nice that such awards are set for athletes and coaches and I am happy to be present at the ceremony," said Olympic silver-medalist short track speed skater Li Jiajun. Li, one of the nominees for Sportsman of the Year, was smartly dressed for the ceremony.

"I know that a good appearance is as important to a woman as wisdom to a chess player. I am lucky that I own both. Please don't envy me, " said chess world champion Zhu Chen. Zhu won the title of Athlete of the Year for Non-Olympic Sport.

"I did expect a lot to win the title last year but failed to. I didn't expect so this year but it eventually came to me.

"I hope the award could encourage more people to be involved in chess," she added.

"I knew I would eventually win the title (of 'Sportswoman of the Year') when I stepped into the ceremony hall," said Yang Yang (A), who won China's first ever Winter Olympic gold medal in last year's Salt Lake city Games.

"If I could choose between 'Coach of the Year' or coach of 'Team of the Year', I would prefer the latter. I think the latter would be a best recognition of myself, " said South Korean field hockey coach Kim Chang-back. Kim led the Chinese women's team to their first ever world champion title, at the Champions Cup last August in Macao, China.

"I hate my mum. If I had been born five years later, I would have had a chance to win in the China Sports Awards," joked former table tennis world champion Wang Tao. Wang was among the 80 sports specialists chosen to decide the final award winners.

"It's very nice ceremony. I used to be present at the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony and I think it is a Chinese version of the Awards," said former table tennis world champion Deng Yaping.

"They did a very good job, except one point. If more sports fans had been invited, the ceremony would have been more impressive and wonderful," said Deng, who is also a member of the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games.

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Quotes from China Sports Awards Ceremony

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