IN BRIEF (Page 22)
Soccer
Olympic team soars high to beat Uruguay
China suffered mixed fortunes in men's soccer yesterday as the national team lost to Thailand and the Olympic team upset Uruguay in international friendlies.
The national team showed little desire throughout the match in Bangkok, bowing to the Asian rival for the first time in 14 years. Thailand scored in the 38th minute and China did little to suggest they would bounce back.
Meanwhile in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Provvince, the Olympic team produced an encouraging display against the South American powerhouse.
Guided by Ratomir Dujkovic, Cui Peng and Zhu Ding contributed goals for China in the 19th and 55th minute respectively.
"This was a great game and everybody played their role on the pitch," said Dujkovic. "I am happy to see my boys improving day by day and I am glad to see they are 100 per cent focused about the match today."
Olympics
Commemorative metal bars issued for 2008 torch
China Gold Coin Corporation has issued a set of gold and silver commemorative bars to mark the torch relay for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Authorized by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), the four gold bars weigh between 29 grams and 1,000 grams, and the six silver bars inlaid with gold weigh between 50.5 grams and 1,001 grams.
One side of the bars bears the shapes of the Beijing Olympics logo and the Temple of Heaven, an ancient building and historical site in Beijing. The other side pictures the Olympic torch.
The price ranges from 870 yuan ($110) to 268,000 yuan ($33,500) and a limited number of 122, 645 sets will be sold globally.
Volleyball
Volleyball Grand Prix finals come to China
Ningbo of Zhejiang Province will host the finals of the FIVB World Women's Grand Prix series.
Top five teams from the Grand Prix will join hosts China to decide the winner.
Twelve teams - Cuba, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Japan, the United States, Dominican Republic, Russia, Italy, Holland, Chinese Taibei, Poland and China - will play in the grand prix which lasts four weeks in August.
The first week is from August 3-5 in Italy, Poland and Japan. The second week is from August 10-12 in Japan, Russia and Hong Kong , the third week is from August 17-19 in Japan, Chinese Taibei and Macao, and the fourth week is the Ningbo finals.
(China Daily 05/17/2007 page22)
