IN BRIEF (Page 22)
SOCCER
Fans choose Internet to watch English Premiership
A large number of Chinese soccer fans are tuning into the Internet to watch the new English Premier League (EPL) season after the arrival of users-pays soccer.
Fans are now forced to pay 188 yuan ($24) a month or 588 ($78) a year to watch England's top-flight matches after Tiansheng TV or WinTV won broadcast rights for three seasons.
In a bid to cater to more viewers in the new era, WinTV reached a deal with Internet leader Sina.com to offer fans a 38 yuan ($5) a month or 380 yuan ($50) yearly deal to tune into games via the internet.
And fans interested in their club only can pay the reasonable price of 3.8 yuan (50c) to watch a single match.
Despite charging for all 380 EPL games, Sina.com will screen complimentary highlights packages.
SPORTS EXPO
Winter Sports Goods Show to kick off in Beijing
The 21st China International Sporting Goods Show for Winter will be held at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing from August 17-19.
Covering 8,000sqm, the 2007 event will be divided into two areas for Ice and Snow Sports and an Outdoor Sports Show.
About 100 sports enterprises from 12 countries and regions are expected to exhibit in Beijing.
Winter sports production giants Voelkl, Marker, Tecnica, Toko Salomon and York will showcase their latest equipment, while the exhibition will also feature Skiing and Outdoor Sports Industry Forum, cycling, acrobatic shows, swimming for children and China's table soccer championships.
BOWLING
Vinda league completes fifth stop in Dalian.
The Vinda China National Bowling League completed its fifth round in Dalian on the weekend.
The Harbin Tiansuo Team won the open ten-pin competition followed by Tianjin and Shenyang.
Another Harbin team was victorious in the curve-ball competition edging out teams from Shenzhen and Beijing.
All winners qualified for finals in Guangzhou in November.
The league, organized by the Multi-ball Administrative Center of the Sports Bureau, CCTV Sports, the Chinese Bowling Association and the Guangdong Vinda Group, offers total prize money of 760,000 yuan ($100,000).
Rounds will be held in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Kunming, Dalian, Zhengzhou and Wuhan before the final in Guangzhou in November.
The next stop is in Zhengzhou followed by Wuhan before the finale.
(China Daily 08/15/2007 page22)
