IN BRIEF (Page 22)

GOLF

15-year-old qualifies for 2008 China Open

Ye Jianfeng was crowned junior champion of China when the third Volvo China Junior Championship drew to a close earlier this month.

The 15-year-old was the highlight of the tournament by winning the Boys' Group A (15 to 17 years), earning the skilled Shenzhen junior a highly coveted spot in the 2008 Volvo China Open.

This is the second time that the talented teenager has qualified for the prestigious Open Championship of China on the European Tour. In April he earned a spot by winning the Open's Northern China Pre-qualifying competition.

Miscellaneous

Beijing holds fun games to promote exercise

The 5i5j Cup Beijing Community Fun Games kicked off over the weekend at the Fangzhuang Sports Park.

The event, organized by the Beijing All-Sports Federation, the Beijing Sports Industry Union and the Beijing 5i5j Real Estate Corporation, was held with an aim to raise citizens' health standard and to promote the Olympic Spirit.

Featuring games like shuttlecock kicking, rope-jumping and tug-of-war, the Games will last for 15 months, although they will take a break for three months before and after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Organizers say more than one million citizens will be involved in 1,000 competitions in 1,000 communities with at least 100 preliminary competitions every month.

Xinjiang horsemen ride to Beijing

Thirteen horsemen will make a journey to Beijing from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this month in a bid to promote traditional equestrian sports ahead of Beijing Olympics.

The horsemen are all participants of the China Huarun Cup, an equestrian tournament that concluded on Sunday. They will also represent 13 minorities in Xinjiang and will travel 5,000 km in 60 days.

The equestrian event in the Beijing Olympics will take place in Hong Kong.

Basketball

Anta launches talent project in new season

CBA official sponsor Anta will launch its player reserve system for China's professional basketball league, known as the Anta Star Route Project, during the upcoming season.

The project's aim is to cultivate talent in an effort to make the CBA the best league in Asia within ten years.

Anta will offer young players a series of awards at CBA regular season games, the All Star Game and the playoff finals. It will also organize training clinics for teenaged players in the league.

The new season starts on October 27. The season, shortened this year in order to prepare for the 2008 Olympics, will conclude in Febuary.

(China Daily 10/25/2007 page22)