IN BRIEF (Page 22)

SNOOKER

Xing Pai again named official table for China Open

With heaps of praise from leading snooker players like Stephen Hendry of Scotland and Welshman Dominic Dale, Xing Pai snooker tables will again be used as the official competition and practice tables for the World Snooker China Open, set to start in Beijing on March 24.

The decision was made by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. Producer Beijing Xingwei Sports Goods Co Ltd also provided the official tables for last year's China Open in April, won by world champion Graeme Dott of Scotland.

The Xing Pai (Star) tables first rose to global prominence in 2006 when they were used for the BetFred English Premier League snooker competition, the first time Chinese snooker tables were used in England for a major competition.

Along with China's No 1 snooker player Ding Junhui and women's No 1 nine-ball player Pan Xiaoting, noted world snooker master Stephen Hendry of Scotland is also a spokesman for the table.

WUSHU

Wushu masters battle it out for 'Kungfu King' honor

The 2008 Martial Arts Kungfu King Tournament will be held in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

The event, organized by the Wushu Administrative Center of the State General Administration of Sport, Heilongjiang TV, Heilongjiang Sports Competition Administrative Center and the Harbin Shaolin Wushu School, will showcase top wushu masters competing in four weight categories - 70kg, 80kg, 90kg and over-90kg.

The fights will be held at the Heilongjiang TV Station with live coverage starting on March 30 and ending in December. Athletes will first compete to decide the winners of four groups, leading up to the fight for the "Kungfu King".

Along with the China Wushu Administrative Center, the International Wushu Federation has decided to hold the Fourth International Wushu Free Combat Championships in Harbin later this year. The city will also host the China-Iran, China-US free combat contests in April and July.

POKER

Yaoji event kicks off nationwide tour

The 2008 Yaoji Poker Game (Traktor) Beijing Masters Tournament was launched on Tuesday at the Beijing Grand View Garden Hotel.

The event, organized by the Beijing Sports Press Association, the Beijing Leisure Sports Administrative Center and the Shanghai Yaoji Poker Co Ltd, has become a nationwide event this year. The first two events were held in the Beijing area. Last year's event saw 552 Beijing communities take part. This year, preliminary competitions will also be held in Chongqing city, and Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangsu and Liaoning provinces, before the finals in Beijing at the end of the year.

Yaoji Poker Co Ltd is an avid supporter of China's sports development. It is the title sponsor of all five of China's major women's soccer tournaments and the Beijing 3-on-3 basketball tournament. Yao Wencheng, president of the company, pledged further support to China's competitive sports development and China's call for national fitness.

(China Daily 03/14/2008 page22)