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World Championships Take Backseat as Chinese Prepare for National Games
Top Chinese gymnasts did not travel to the onging world championships in Ghent, Belgium - they stayed home preparing for China's Ninth National Games that opens in the southern province of Guangdong on November 11.
The National Games is China's most prestigious sports event and has launched the careers of past Olympic stars. To many in Chinese sports, the National Games comes only after the Olympic Games.
The first two National Games were held in 1959 and 1965, and since 1975 it had been coming every four years, except for a six-year break between 1987 and 1993. The games is usually used to measure provincial sports achievements and test competence of local sports officials.
A combination of summer Olympic disciplines, ice events, and some traditional Chinese arts, the Ninth Games boasts 30 sports and 345 events from which 358 gold medals are available. A best example of the traditional arts could be wushu, or better known as kung fu in the western world.
As many as 122 stadiums and gymnasiums have been provided for the games, and 11 of those are new from horizon. The games is expected to draw 20,000 athletes, coaches, umpires and referees, officials and working staff.
For the first time in the games' history, broadcasting rights are sold this time instead of distributed to central or provincial television stations. Some 30 television stations, including China Central Television and two from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, have paid and thus are allowed to go "inside."
Other journalists, who are accustomed to the old way in which sports coverage is no merchandise but belongs to all, were upset and protesting the decision by China's State Sports General Administration.
While the opening ceremony is arranged in nine days' time, some of the events have already begun. As by Thursday, 106 gold medals have been taken with host Guangdong leading the tally with 10.5 gold, 9 silver, and 9 bronze.
The doping issue reared its head ahead of the games when four athletes were banned
on Thursday after their doctor was caught with banned performance-enhancing drugs.
The doctor and four coaches of the Shanxi province track and field team also were banned from the November 11-25 games.
Inspectors acting on a tip raided the hotel of Dr. Chang Gehua this week and found erythropoetin and human growth hormone. The first increases endurance by boosting production of red blood cells, while the second builds muscle.
The weightlifting team from Sichuan province in China's southwest already was banned from the games after a raid on their training center turned up banned performance-enhancing drugs.
As China's knockout sports event, it has attracted most of the Chinese top athletes and even lured Fu Mingxia, queen of diving, out of retirement.
"I am representing Hubei province," she said in an early interview. "But I am not sure about the result. For me, participation is more important."
Li Xiaopeng, who won four medals including a gold in parallel bars in Sydney Olympic Games, and Liu Xuan, Olympic beam gold medalist, will be the most compelling gymnasts in the games.
However, for the world gymnastics championships, China just sent an eight-gymnast team without any Olympic medalists. "Our top gymnasts are gunning for the National Games which starts only a few days after the worlds," said Zhang Jian, China's top gymnastics official.
"It is difficult to reach the peak of form in a month," he added.
A Norwegian umpire at this world championships asked Chinese reporters why a national competition should come before international, and could only open his eyes wide when learning "because they are returning to their provincial teams that see them all the way to success."
This is also true for the world weightlifting championships in Antalya, Turkey, this month.
Yang Hanxiong, head coach of the Chinese weightlifting team, said, "We don't have much expectation for the championships."
The Chinese women's team coach Zhang Wenxi echoed by saying, "I don't expect any gold here. The National Games is more important than the world championships, at least to those officials at the provincial levels."
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