IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Bowling

National league completes sixth round in Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou Palm Team B won the open class and the Sichuan Jiaozi Team B won the curve-ball competition of the Vinda Cup China National Tenpin Bowling Club League's sixth round in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, on the weekend.

A record 64 teams took part in the two-category competition at the Dongfang Bowling Center, where all winners qualified for finals in Guangzhou in November. Rounds have already been held in Beijing, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Kunming, Dalian and Zhengzhou.

The next stop is Wuhan, Hubei Province. 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).

Tennis

China's Tennis magazine organizes clinic for fans

The Chinese edition of Tennis magazine organized a tennis clinic for Beijing tennis fans in conjunction with the China Open at the Beijing Tennis Center on the weekend.

Former national team coach Wang Yue was one of the star instructors at the two-day clinic which attracted more than 100 fans.

A similar two-day clinic will also be held in the center in the coming weekend.

Miscellaneous

Top brand celebrates 20th anniversary

Beijing Xingpai Group, China's leading producer of billiard and snooker tables, celebrated its 20th birthday on the weekend.

In 1987 founder Gan Lianfang used 8,000 yuan to build his first snooker table factory and today it has grown into a company of sports, real estate, hotel management and golf clubs.

Besides China's No 1 snooker player Ding Junhui and women's No 1 nine-ball player Pan Xiaoting, the group also sponsors noted world snooker master Stephen Hendry of Scotland.

The Xing Pai (Star) tables first rose to global prominence in 2006 when they were used for the BetFred English Premier League snooker competition, the first time Chinese snooker tables were used in England for major competitions.

(China Daily 09/18/2007 page22)