IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Soccer

National team captain likely to miss Iraq match after surgery

China's national team captain Li Weifeng will likely miss the crucial Asian qualifier match against Iraq on February 6 after breaking his nose during a friendly against Lebanon on Sunday.

The veteran defender underwent nose surgery after the match in which China was held by Lebanon 0-0 in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. But according to head coach Vladimir Petrovic, the injury puts Li's chances for the Asian qualifier against Iraq at stake.

China called back four major players from Ratomir Dujkovic's Olympic side. Defenders Li Weifeng, Sun Xiang and midfielder Du Zhenyu came on as starters, but the team failed once again to score after consecutive losses to Bundesliga club Cottbus and SV Hamburg and a lackluster 0-0 draw against the United Arab Emirates.

China's team, which is striving for its second World Cup Final berth in history, was drawn into the "group of death" that includes former Oceania champion Australia, Asian Cup champion Iraq and Asian Games champion Qatar.

China will play another friendly against Syria on January 27.

Miscellaneous

Bridge competition held to celebrate Lunar New Year

To welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year, and to mark the 200-day countdown to the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, the Yaoji Poker Cup bridge competition for members of the capital's media was held last Friday at the Beijing Grand View Garden Hotel.

The event, organized by the Beijing Sports Press Association, the Shanghai Yaoji Poker Co Ltd and the Beijing Ruizhixiangyun Advertising Company, attracted more than 100 participants.

The Shanghai poker company is an active sports supporter in China, especially in the development of women's soccer. It title-sponsored all five of the top national women's soccer tournaments - the Super Cup, the Super League, the national championships, the FA Cup and the North and South All-Star Game.

Company president Yao Wenchen pledged further support to China's sports development before and after the Beijing Olympics.

Table Tennis

Former Chinese paddler plays for South Korea

Former Chinese table tennis player Tang Na will represent South Korea at next month's World Team Championship after finishing first at the Korean qualifier.

Tang, a former Chinese national team member, decided to move to South Korea in 2000 because she found she had few opportunities on the star-studded Chinese team.

Her efforts paid off earlier this year when she convincingly won the qualifier without losing a single match. She will travel with the South Korean team to Guangzhou next month for the World Team Championship. Another former Chinese player, Guo Fangfang, is also on South Korea's roster.

(China Daily 01/22/2008 page23)