IN BRIEF (Page 22)
ATHLETICS
Shanghai GP upgrade means more star names
Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, a major track and field event in China, will be upgraded to the IAAF Grand Prix Status and therefore will be included to the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008 Calendar, the organizers said.
The move will help bring more world champion athletes to the annual Shanghai event, which kicked off since 2005, said Wang Dawei, Deputy Director of China's Athletic Administrative Center.
In its past editions, the tournament has attracted a number of big names including local hero Liu Xiang, world record holder in men's 110m hurdles.
The 2007 edition, featuring 14 events, will be held on September 28.
SOCCER
Li becomes first player to reach 100 goal mark
China international striker Li Jinyu, controversially left out of China's Asian Cup squad, became the first player to score 100 goals in the Chinese top flight on Wednesday.
The striker was on target twice as his club Shandong Luneng won 3-1 over Zhejiang Lucheng in China Super League.
The 29-year-old, who scored 26 league goals last season and has bagged seven more so far this year, was omitted from China's squad because coach Zhu Guanghu felt he was out of form.
In May, Li scored his 97th goal to pass former Dalian striker Hao Haidong as the top scorer in 13-year history of China's top flight of professional soccer.
Shandong's victory, combined with 3-1 defeat for Changchun Yatai at Wuhan, put the champions back on top of the league on goal difference after 13 rounds of the season.
(China Daily 06/22/2007 page22)
