IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Tennis

ITF president: China should focus on grassroots

China must focus on the grassroots of tennis, not just on developing top players and hosting big tournaments, according to International Tennis Federation (ITF) President Francesco Ricci Bitti.

Bitti praised Beijing on having one of the best tennis venues in the world after visiting the city's Olympic Tennis Center, which was completed in September.

"These kind of good courts should be available to local people and not just used for big events," the Italian said. "This is the first condition for developing the sport.

"China still needs to work more on the grassroots."

Chinese women enjoyed considerable success in 2006, with Zheng Jie and Yan Zi winning two Grand Slam doubles titles and Li Na reaching the singles quarterfinal at Wimbledon.

Basketball

University league to tip off in November

The 361 China University Basketball Super League (CUBS) 2007-08 tips off on November 6, with 17 men's and 12 women's teams taking part.

Organized by the Federation of University Sports of China and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), the competition, billed as the best of its kind in China by the CBA, will feature regular, semifinal and final matches on a home-and-away basis. The finals will follow a best-of-three series format for both men and women.

Yang Liguo, secretary-general of the federation, was happy to announce that this year's competition is sponsored by Chinese sportswear brand 361 , which has a close connection with China's sports development. It has sponsored the Chinese national badminton team for 10 years and is also a partner of the Xiamen International Marathon. Yang said the company will also provide outfits for all the players of the CUBS.

Olympics

Early arrival set for Spanish 2008 delegation

The Spanish delegation of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games may arrive and prepare for the battle in the Olympic city three months ahead of the Games, a delegation official announced in Beijing.

Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, said the country's sports squad will come to Beijing in May or June 2008 to adjust to the local environment.

"If everything is ready, we will be in Beijing as soon as possible," he said during a joint press conference with team sponsor Li Ning. "We will field the biggest-ever delegation with around 160 athletes."

Spain is one of the powerhouses in basketball, tennis, water polo and handball. The Spanish basketball team is the reigning world champion.

(China Daily 10/16/2007 page22)