IN BRIEF (Page 22)

GOLF

Liang extends lead in Asian Tour's Order of Merit

China's Liang Wenchong stretched his lead on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit after he notched his ninth top-10 finish of the season over the weekend.

Liang shared eighth place in the inaugural Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational where his week's winnings of $8,242 raised his season's total to $477,950. His winnings increased his advantage over second-ranked South African Anton Haig to just over $50,000 with five events remaining this season.

With the Asian Tour moving to Singapore for this week's $4 million Barclays Singapore Open, Liang knows he needs to keep his foot firmly on the pedal to secure the prestigious UBS Order of Merit crown.

"I am very pleased with my position (last week). I had a good finish in Jakarta and the result has cemented my position at the top of the rankings."

SNOOKER

Capital to host eight-ball competition

The Hongta Cup Bejjing Snooker Open will be held later this month.

The event, organized by the Beijing Snooker Association, the Hongta Group, the Beijing Shangpin Advertising Co Ltd and the Beijing Sports Press Association, will play American-style eight-ball pool. Organizers also promised women's nine-ball and snooker will be added to the individual competitions in the future.

The three-day event, which will run from November 29 to December 1, will be held in four competition zones. The final winner will receive a personal computer worth 10,000 yuan ($1,300).

WINTER SPORTS

Ski tour will come to China in December

Tour de Ski, a cross-country skiing tournament sanctioned by FIS (International Ski Federation) will kick off on December 28 in Shangri-la, a noted tourism destination in Di Qing, Yunnan Province in South China.

This will be the first time FIS has held such a tournament in China. It is the highest-level cross-country skiing event to be held in China since the World Cup, which was held twice in Changchun in Northeast China's Jilin Province.

The two-day event is expected to attract more than 40 of the world's top 100 skiers.

The event will then move to Changchun for its second and third legs, and then to the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for the final leg.

The event is organized by China Ski Association and Nordic Ways.

MISCELLANEOUS

National City Games star athletes to be selected

The selection for the Skyworth National City Games star athletes kicked off yesterday during the ongoing Sixth National City Games in Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Organized by the China National Daily Newspaper Sports News Society and the Skyworth Group, the event will choose one male and one female athlete who not only put up sparkling performance at the Games, but also showed great potential, as judged by a panel of sports mavens, writers and editors.

Since the Ninth National Games in Guangzhou in 2001, the society and Skyworth have collaborated in a series of selection activities.

CYCLING

Aussie rider shares honor with local in cycling meet

Australian cyclist Piers Touzel won the men's elite group while local rider Lu Taotao triumphed in the women's elite group at the 2007 Great Wall International Cycling Festival.

Organized by Swedish company Nordic Ways, the festival, in its fourth year of existence, attracted some 300 cyclists from more than 20 countries and regions.

(China Daily 11/01/2007 page22)