IN BRIEF (Page 23)

China Daily | Updated: 2008-01-18 07:10

MOTOR SPORTS

Auto race to be held on frozen Heilongjiang River

The Fifth China Mohe (International) Automobile Racing Contest on snow and ice, which is also the 2008 China Auto Rally Series Mohe stop, will be held in Mohe, the northernmost county in China's Heilongjiang Province, between March 16 and 19, the organizing committee announced in Beijing on Wednesday.

The event, inaugurated in 2004 as an automobile challenge competition on snow and ice, will be held on China's side of the frozen Heilongjiang River for various prizes.

Sixty cars driven by professional athletes from China, Russia and Hong Kong SAR will take part in the competition organized by the Federation of Automobile Sports of China, Heilongjiang Sports Bureau and Mohe People's Government.

Mohe County officials said they aim to take advantage of the contest to showcase the unique charm of Mohe and the origin of Heilongjiang River and make it a new comprehensive economic growth area of the region.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

'NFL Evening' launched in Beijing, Shanghai

With the NFL 2007-08 playoffs in full swing, the league has launched an exciting new campaign to promote its game in China.

Named "NFL Evening", the campaign will invite Chinese fans to watch NFL games in pubs from January 14 to January 29th.

Castle Oktober in Shanghai will host NFL Evening every Monday with Goose and Duck in Beijing every Tuesday.

"The NFL is committed to promoting American football in China, where we hope this campaign will create a true fan atmosphere for people in the Beijing and Shanghai region," said Michael Stokes, senior manager of Fan and Football Development for the NFL, on the day of the launch. "Viewers will be able to enjoy the game in multiple ways. By watching and learning the game, or interacting in mini-games with friends, I hope the game will get more popular in China."

During the 2007-08 season the league has partnered with CCTV Olympic channel and SMG G-Sports channel, where the best game of the week is broadcast weekly.

Fans who are interested in watching the NFL playoffs can tune in to CCTV Olympic channel every early Wednesday morning at 12:30 am, while the Shanghai people can tune in to G-Sports every Monday morning at 8:00 am.

(China Daily 01/18/2008 page23)