IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Basketball

China sends 2nd-stringers to Asian c'ships

Defending champion China will send a second-string national team to the Asian Basketball Championships (ABC) in Japan next week.

The first team will compete in the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup in Guangzhou, which clashes with the ABC from July 28.

Without a single national player, the understrength outfit cannot expect to win the championship.

"The strongest opponents come from West Asia, like Lebanon and Qatar," head coach Adijiang said on Wednesday.

"The Philippines has become a challenge too since it introduced some former American professional players."

The Chinese squad will be denied its usual advantage inside the paint with tall timber Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi missing.

Miscellaneous

Sporting chance for Forbidden City soldiers

In response to calls for a national fitness drive, the Beijing Sports Press Association and the Beijing Ruizhixangyun Advertising Co accompanied three big sports retailers to the Forbidden City to present soldiers with some much needed equipment.

The Dutch Ten Cate Thiolon Company, the Beijing Torchnall Sports Equipment Co and the Hebei Haixing Hongqi Sports Goods Co gave artificial turf, table tennis equipment and basketball stands for the military members to enjoy in their spare time.

The companies pledged further support to China's sports development and made contributions to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Disabled athletes the focus of greater support

A fundraising campaign for the Chinese sports delegation of the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games was launched yesterday in Beijing.

Organized by China Disabled Person's Federation (CSPF) and Public Donation Office of the Chinese Delegation to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, the campaign has attracted attention from sucsessful people in diverse fields.

Famous actor Wang Gang and scriptwriter Zou Jingzhi are Promotion Ambassadors for the drive and have urged the public to take greater interest in disabled sports .

"The development of Paralympics sports are unbalanced in China," executive vice president of CDPF Lu Shiming said.

"In some areas, athletes still lack the venues, the facilities and even the coaches. And lots of the disabled athletes are struggling to have regular training."

(China Daily 07/27/2007 page22)