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Riders compete in the men's windsurfing event at the Asian Beach Games in Haiyang, Shandong province, on June 19. Cui Meng / China Daily |
Asian Beach Games shows off the beauty of Haiyang and a different sporting competition, Tang Zhe reports.
The peaceful city of Haiyang, Shandong province, was a hive of activity this month as the third Asian Beach Games stirred the coastal city from June 16-22.
Known as one of the most attractive places in China for beach sports and vacationing due to its 230 kilometers of coastline, which includes more than 60km of sandy beaches, Haiyang welcomed 1,601 athletes from 45 countries and regions to compete in 49 events of 13 sports at the seven-day beach gala.
The Chinese delegation topped the medal standings by claiming 36 medals - including 14 gold.
The biennial Asian Beach Games is the latest in a series of high-level international sporting events hosted in China - following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade.
"The Asian Beach Games is another Chinese interpretation of Olympic spirit," said China's Sports Minister, Liu Peng, who also serves as the president of the Chinese Olympic Committee. "The closing of the Games is not a finish, but a new start for people from all Asian countries and regions to pursue peace, spread friendship and achieve dreams."
The Asian Beach Games is a multi-sport event held every two years among athletes from the region. The first Games was held in 2008 in Bali, Indonesia, and the fourth edition will be held in Phuket, Thailand, in 2014.
Contact the writer at tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn
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1. An athlete competes in the men's waterski semifinals on June 21. 2. A Chinese player (right) battles for the ball against a Lebanese opponent in the beach soccer semifinals. China won 5-1 to reach the final, where it lost to Iran 2-0 and had to settle for silver. 3. Players of Iran and Sri Lanka compete in the men's beach kabaddi semifinals on June 21. 4. Kim Ja-in of South Korea competes in women's climbing on June 20. Kim won the gold. Cui Meng / China Daily |
(China Daily 06/27/2012 page22)
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