All Sichuan athletes safe after earthquake

CHENGDU: None of China's Sichuan-based athletes were killed or injured in the deadly earthquake that rocked the southwestern Chinese province last week, the Sichuan sports chief said yesterday.

All provincial teams were evacuated immediately after the 8.0-magnitude quake hit China, said Sichuan sports director Zhu Ling.

"All of the provincial-level athletes were away from the worst-hit areas and they made quick escapes from the buildings when the disaster happened," Zhu said. "Most athletes lived in low-rise buildings and they were either taking a nap or preparing for the afternoon session of training at the moment of the earthquake."

Zhu said the sports infrastructure in Beichuan, Qingchuan and Wenchuan - the epicenter of China's most deadly quake in decades - was seriously damaged.

A new gymnasium, a swimming pool and a stadium at the Aba Normal Institute in Wenchuan all crumbled to the ground, while a 3,000-seat gymnasium in Jiangyou city, which was jolted by a 6.0-magnitude aftershock on Sunday, was also devastated by the May 12 quake.

The Sichuan Sports Bureau closed all sports venues and facilities on the day of the earthquake, Zhu said.

Events halted

The province has also decided to relocate or cancel all international and domestic sporting events in May and June.

Zhu, a former member of the Chinese women's volleyball team, said the annual World League men's volleyball tournament scheduled for mid-June - an event Chengdu has hosted twice - will be moved to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou.

"We have put a lot of money into the volleyball tournament," said Chen Rong, an organizer of the event. "The earthquake put it all to waste."

Zhou Jian'an, the Sichuan-born head coach of the Chinese men's volleyball team, said his team will put up "a good performance" in Hangzhou in honor of the quake survivors.

"I won't let my folks down," he said.

China will take on Japan, Poland and Eygpt in the June 14-29 tournament.

The Chinese Boxing Championships, in its second day of competition as the earthquake hit Leshan city, 140 km south of Chengdu, was canceled. All the boxers were safely evacuated.

Sichuan has produced many Olympic champions over the years, including Chen Longcan (table tennis), Gao Min (diving), Zhang Shan and Du Li (shooting), and Tang Lin (judo).

Asian Football Confederation president Hohamed Bin Hammam and Chinese soccer boss Xie Yalong were attending a soccer forum in a Chengdu hotel when the quake hit.

Hamman and Xie looked composed when reporters fled. They were among the last group of the forum attendees evacuated to the Chengdu Sports Center.

Xinhua

(China Daily 05/22/2008 page22)