IN BRIEF (Page 23)

Motor Sports

Truck race roars off on April 28

The opening stage of the 2008 China Truck Race will be held from April 28 to May 1 in Xiamen, Fujian province, and will be expanded to four stage competitions before the national final in Beijing in September.

Co-organized by the China Federation of Automobile Sports (CFAS) and Beijing Hanstone Advertising Co Ltd, the tournament begins its sixth year and will for the first time invite world-class pro teams from European Truck Racing.

The organizing committee said more efforts will be made in coming years to make the tournament international and competitive.

"We are glad to see this tournament has made rapid progress in the past years," said Yan Jianchang, director of CFAS and president of the organizing committee. "This tournament has also proven truck racing is a spectacular sport. It will be a great platform for truck drivers around the world as well as truck producers."

The China Truck Race has been rated as one of the most significant races of the year by CFAS. Strategic cooperation with the European Truck Race has been helpful for the competition's domestic development and the improvement of local drivers.

Olympics

Music video released

An Olympic music video called Jia You Zhong Guo (Cheering for China), has been released in Beijing and will be shown all around the nation in support of Chinese athletes' preparations for the Beijing Games in August.

The music was performed by eight well-known stars from different sporting fields, including former diving queen Gao Min, Olympic badminton champion Ji Xinpeng, Olympic shooting gold medalist Yang Ling and world and Olympic gymnastics champion Xing Aowei.

"The State General Administration of Sport (SGAS) and the China Olympic Committee (COC) are always making efforts to organize different campaigns involving sports culture," said Wen Wen, an official from SGAS. "We hope the song will help inspire and encourage more people to enjoy and support sport."

Aiming to become a hit song before and during the Beijing Olympics, the music video has been sponsored by local sportswear company ERATAT and will be broadcast on some 700 radio and 250 television stations.

Soccer

Sina links up with UEFA

China's leading Internet portal Sina.com has joined hands with European soccer's governing body UEFA to launch an online campaign and will select four lucky Chinese fans to watch the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21.

Internet users are asked to open blogs on Sina.com and write stories about the Champions League.

The blogs authors who draw the most attention will be rewarded with a trip to Moscow with all expenses paid by UEFA.

It is the first time UEFA has offered such an invitation to Chinese soccer fans, though it expects to have more cooperation with China in the future.

Since the 2006-07 season, Sina.com has broadcast all the Champions League matches live on the Internet.

(China Daily 04/17/2008 page23)