IN BRIEF (Page 23)

GOLF

Liu, Kong share honors at qualifying tournament

Liu Anda and Kong Weihai both finished at the top of the pack at the Volvo China Open Mid-China Qualifying after scoring matching 1-over-par 73s in the final round on Wednesday.

With similar two-day totals of 2-under-par 142s, the duo finished three shots ahead of rising star Wu Ashun who secured third place. All three players booked their tickets to the lucrative $2.2 million China Open at Beijing CBD International Golf Club on April 17.

"I played very well on the back nine and felt that I was OK until the 18th hole," said Shandong-based Liu.

"Then I hooked my second shot into the water and thought that maybe I'd blown my chance. I concentrated on finishing the hole as best I could and then signaled to some of my friends to ask if I was in or not. When they gave me the thumbs-up sign, I was very relieved," he added.

Ten of the 13 spots available via qualifying for the Volvo China Open have now been settled. The final qualifying event will be held on April 1-2 at Beijing Honghua International Golf Club.

2008 China Golf Show opens in Beijing's Ag Exhibition Center

The China Golf Show 2008 opened yesterday in Beijing at the new China National Agriculture Exhibition Center.

The three-day event, sanctioned by the China Golf Association, has been held in Beijing six times and in Guangzhou four times. It has won special attention from around the world as one of the landmark golf show in the Asia-Pacific region.

The exhibit featured more than 230 companies for around 800 exhibition booths, including such brands as Srixon, Honma, TaylorMade, Callaway, Titlist and golf media such as China's No 1 golf video website, www.funfungolf.com.

Seminars on China Golf Industry Strategic Development, Management of the Caddies and Rational Use of Water Resources will be held during the show as well as clinics to teach golf enthusiasts driving and putting skills.

Zhang Xiaoning, vice-chairman of the China Golf Association said the show has become a landmark exhibition in the sport and a window to display China's fast golf development.

MISCELLANEOUS

China set to promote line dancing for healthy exercise

Line dancing is about to come to China after the completion of a three-day training clinic in Beijing.

The fitness exercise will be promoted throughout China and is encouraged by the China Gymnastics Administrative Center, the culture and sports association of the All China Federation of Trade Unions, CCTV-5 and the Beijing Gymnastics Association.

Line dancing demonstrations and competitions will be held around China to popularize the exercise.

Line dance is a formation dance in which a group of people dance in one or more lines, executing the same movements.

The Beijing Gymnastics Association introduced line dancing to China in 2006.

(China Daily 03/28/2008 page23)