Category: Sports

(Xinhua)16:17, March 07, 2021

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) — China and Japan should support each other in hosting the upcoming Olympic Games this year and next year, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

(Xinhua)11:31, January 19, 2021

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, expressed his confidence that China would host a successful Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Xi made the remarks during an inspection tour on Monday on the preparatory work for the Games.

At the Capital Gymnasium, athletes and coaches of the Chinese figure skating and short track speed skating national teams reported to Xi their preparations for Beijing 2022, and expressed confidence in winning gold medals.

Xi said that the CPC Central Committee pays great importance to the preparatory work ahead of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, adding that both the Party and the Chinese people have given tremendous support in both material and spiritual terms.

Xi noted that he was very gratified to see the preparations for Beijing 2022 are well underway and that the athletes training is producing obvious results. He also expressed confidence that the 2022 sports extravaganza will be a success.

The Capital Gymnasium will host the figure skating and short track speed skating events during Beijing 2022.

(Xinhua)15:31, January 19, 2021

TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — It was a Sunday afternoon on January 18 and only the third day after Osaka entered a state of emergency because of the worsening COVID-19 situation. People thought that all sporting activities had come to a standstill in Japans second-biggest city.

To most peoples surprise, the womens singles final of the Japanese national table tennis championships was going on at Maruzen Intec Arena, close to Osaka city center. After a thrilling showdown, Kasumi Ishikawa upset fellow Tokyo Olympian and world No. 3 Mima Ito to win the title 4-3.

Ill do what I can to prepare well for the Tokyo Olympics and give it my best once again, said the 27-year-old Ishikawa, who has two medals for Japan in the womens team event; a silver from the 2012 London Games and a bronze at 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

Ishikawa, who speaks fluent Chinese, told Xinhua last year before COVID-19 swept the world, that her dream in her final Olympic Games is to win a singles medal. Her fifth national title proved that she is very well prepared for that target despite a difficult year.

Osaka is not the only city that has witnessed a surge of COVID-19 cases. Ishikawa is also not alone in fighting the virus for her Olympic dream.

Spains Carolina Marin, the reigning Olympic champion in the womens badminton singles event, traveled thousands of miles to Bangkok before claiming the Thailand Open title with a dominant victory over world No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei that same day.

After a serious ACL injury in 2019 threatened to end her Olympic dreams, this victory shows that she will be a top medal threat once again at the postponed Tokyo Olympics, which will be held from July 23 to August 8.

It is by no means easy to have any of these events take place. Japans world No. 1 Kento Momota tested positive for COVID-19 at Narita Airport before flying to Bangkok, prompting the withdrawal of all Japans players from the Thailand Open. But neither the hosts nor the athletes will succumb to the crisis.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Monday made another promise, his fourth in 18 days, that his government will bring the pandemic under control as soon as possible and continue preparations to host the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

In a policy speech marking the start of this years ordinary parliamentary session, Suga said: We will press ahead with preparations, with determination to implement watertight anti-infection measures and hold an event that can bring hope and courage to the world.

Suga issued a COVID-19 state of emergency for Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures on January 7 in a bid to stem the virus resurgence before expanding it to seven more prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto. After that, skepticism over the feasibility of the Olympics has increased both in Japan and overseas.

Taro Kono, Japans administrative and regulatory reform minister, said that the Olympics could go either way, and called on the IOC for Plan B, Plan C. Takeshi Niinami, an economic advisor to Suga, said he was not sure whether the Tokyo Olympics could be held or not, suggesting that a decision could be made by end of March.

Canadas IOC member Dick Pound became the first dignitary to say that the Games might not take place, and former IOC vice-president Kevan Gosper has suggested the IOC could seek to involve the United Nations in determining whether the Games can be held.

Since assuming office last September, Suga has consistently vowed to host the Games as scheduled, despite the COVID-19 situation in Japan having worsened in recent months. The IOC has always stood behind him, along with major sporting powers like China and the U.K..

When asked last week about whether there will be a further postponement or cancelation, an IOC spokesperson responded: The IOC has full confidence in the Japanese authorities and the measures they are taking. Together with our Japanese partners, we continue to be fully concentrated and committed to the safe and successful delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer.

The delayed Tokyo Olympics will be followed by the Beijing Winter Olympics just six months later, and China has firmly supported its east Asian neighbor. Yu Zaiqing, Chinas longest-serving IOC member, said that the COVID-19 challenges have not compromised Japan and the IOCs determination to host Tokyo 2020 as scheduled.

Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England was also confident the Tokyo Olympics would go ahead, saying to Reuters that we are full steam ahead, planning to embark on Japan from the middle of July and that is our focus of attention.

Suga said at his policy speech on Monday that the government will continue preparation for a vaccine rollout by the end of February, promising well do everything we can to deliver safe and effective vaccines to you all.

(Xinhua)10:05, January 20, 2021

BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, arrived at the Taizicheng station in Zhangjiakou on Tuesday for an inspection tour of the preparation work on the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Thanks to the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed rail that opened at the end of 2019, it took him less than 50 minutes to cover some 200 kilometers between the two cities, a trip he flew four years ago when he inspected the Beijing 2022 co-host city.

The high-speed rail, which symbolizes China Speed, marks essential progress in the preparations for the Winter Olympics, and so do the Games venues in Zhangjiakou, which were models on the sand table four years ago but now standing exquisitely on the ground.

Similarly, so does the Yanqing competition zone.

Two years ago, Xi greeted construction staff via video link when he visited the Olympic organizers Shougang headquarters. On Monday, the General Secretary was there in person to view the completed National Sliding Center and the National Alpine Skiing Center, seeing with his own eyes Chinas first bobsled, skeleton and luge track as well as the countrys first Olympic-standard Alpine piste.

The venue construction must meet the Olympic standards and be completed on time, Xi said during his inspection tour in 2019.

Two years have passed, and the promise has been delivered.

By the end of 2020, all 12 competition venues for Beijing 2022 were completed, despite the uncertainties and challenges brought by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

During the process, technology highlights such as using carbon dioxide as refrigerants in ice-making for the first time in an Olympic scenario, and transferable rinks for curling events over swimming lanes in the National Aquatic Center, demonstrated Chinas determination to host a green, sharing, open and transparent Games in alignment with Olympic Agenda 2020.

In a video speech during the final presentation of Beijings bid for the 2022 Games in 2015, Xi said: Let me assure you that, if you choose Beijing, the Chinese people will present to the world a fantastic, extraordinary and excellent Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

With fewer than 400 days to go before the Games opens on February 4, 2022, the Chinese people are ready to honor that promise and welcome friends from all over the world.

(Xinhua)13:44, January 16, 2021

BEIJING, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — A team of support crew in the Yanqing competition zone of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games has been training during this winter.

Its a team composed of local skiers and ski lovers from various fields who will serve during the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Located in northern Beijing, more than 70 percent of Yanqing District is mountainous land. The region will play host to Alpine skiing, bobsleigh and luge competitions during the 2022 Games.

The support squad, established in January 2020, has 72 outstanding skiers selected after registration, preliminary inspection, strict tests and expert assessment, who came from various fields including medical, sports, and emergency departments of Yanqing district.

Some of them are members of the Yanqing District Ski Association, along with doctors, teachers, and emergency department staff, who have been tied together as a team for the Beijing 2022 support work, according to Ma Zhiyong, deputy director of the Sports Bureau of Yanqing District of Beijing.

I wish that after this training, our ski squad members can not only better serve the coming Winter Olympics, but also bring more people to love and experience winter sports, helping to develop winter sports and the ice-snow industry, Ma said.

To improve service capabilities, the local government organized a special training in this winter season, which is the last winter before the Games. The training mainly focuses on learning skills on snow fields according to the members profession, such as quickly checking the athletes injury and moving the injured to nearby hospitals, as well as how to use skiing skills and foreign languages to help their rescue work.

The China national team coaches and players of winter sports, the head of the Chinese branch of the Swiss National Ski School, and other experts were also invited to form a instruction team to guide the squad with their training.

I will continue to work hard, hoping to learn skiing skills solidly, and also use my professional knowledge to make a contribution to the Winter Olympics, said Wang Feipeng, a member of the Yanqing Winter Olympics ski squad.

(Xinhua)09:00, January 18, 2021

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) — Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won their third career national title at the 2021 US Figure Skating Championships in Las Vegas Orleans Arena on Saturday night.

Were pretty thrilled to be here with this awesome opportunity that US Figure Skating set up for us, Donohue said. Were very grateful for this. It feels amazing to be back in Vegas and to get another US title.

Previously, Hubbell and Donohue were US champions in 2018 and 2019. They scored 134.90 points in their free dance for 224.56 total points. Both are US Championships records.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates earned the silver medal with 132.83 points in the free dance for 222.93 total points. Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean Luc Baker finished third with 212.55 total points.

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier won their first US title as a team in the pairs competition, earning 228.10 total points after their 150.64-point free skate.

Knierim won the US title in 2015 and 2020 with her husband and former partner Chris. Frazier won the US title in 2017 with his former partner Haven Denney. Chris has retired after winning the 2020 title.

We are elated with our performance, Knierim said. Very, very pleased with it. It was a fight for us out there. Were very proud of what we put out there, we worked very hard, and were excited for the future.

Knierim and Frazier set a new US Championships record in the short program, free skate and total score.

In the mens short program, Nathan Chen led the way with a US Championships record 113.92-point short program. Coming into this competition, Chen has won four straight US titles.

Im thrilled with the short program today, Chen said. I made a couple of little bobbles on the landings and I wish I had skated those a little bit cleaner. But overall Im really happy with the program, and just thrilled to be here. This whole season has just been crazy, and everything is just so unexpected. So the fact that were all here, that were all healthy, that were able to do this, is just incredible.

Vincent Zhou is close behind after earning 107.79 points. He has medaled in four straight US Championships. Jason Brown is third with 100.92 points.

(Xinhua)11:01, January 19, 2021

CANBERRA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) — Australias Prime Minister has told tennis players in quarantine ahead of the Australian Open to follow the rules.

The Department of Health and Human Services in the state of Victoria, where the Australian Open will be held from February 8 to 21, on Tuesday morning reported four new cases in hotel quarantine.

Tennis stars including world number one and eight-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic have reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction towards strict quarantine arrangements ahead of the Grand Slam event.

Responding to the topic for the first time on Monday afternoon, PM Scott Morrison told Nine Entertainment radio that players would be well paid for competing in the tournament.

I think its just time people follow the rules, do their quarantine, play tennis. Theyll get paid well for it and Im sure theyll put on a great spectacle and the Australian Open will go ahead, he said.

This is one of those things. Youre trying to keep the balance of keeping things going forward as normal as you can, but it obviously has to happen under some rather extraordinary rules and arrangements.

He refused to criticize the Victorian Government for its handling of the event and rejected commentary that tennis players were taking the place of Australians stranded overseas in hotel quarantine.

No one is being prevented from coming home from overseas because of the Australian Open, thats not happening, Morrison said.

More than 70 players have been confined to hard lockdown in their hotel rooms in the lead-up to the tournament after passengers on their flights to Australia tested positive for COVID-19.

Djokovic has reportedly issued a list of demands for players in quarantine including allowing players and coaches to visit each other and moving as many players as possible to private houses with tennis courts.

The demands have been rejected.

As of Monday afternoon, there had been 28,721 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the numbers of locally and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours were zero and 13 respectively, according to the latest figures updated on Monday evening from the Department of Health.

(Xinhua)13:07, January 15, 2021

SYDNEY, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) — Athletes and their teams began arriving in Melbourne from Thursday ahead of next months Australian Open (AO), despite several big names testing positive for COVID-19.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray was unable to board one of the designated charter flights to Australia after testing positive for the virus, casting serious doubt on whether he will appear at the tournament.

After receiving the positive result, AO officials revealed that the three-time grand slam champion and five-time AO finalist was isolating at his home near London.

Unfortunately this means he will be unable to join the official AO charter flights arriving in Australia in the coming days to go through the quarantine period with the other players, AO officials said in a statement.

Shortly after, U.S. star Madison Keys revealed she too had tested positive for COVID-19 prior to boarding her flight to Melbourne and was self-isolating at home.

I unfortunately tested positive for (COVID-19) before I was supposed to fly to Australia, Keys wrote on social media.

Im very disappointed to not be able to play in the coming weeks after training hard in the off-season and knowing Tennis Australia and the tours did so much to make these events happen.

Meanwhile, fellow-American Tennys Sandgren was granted special approval to travel to Australia for the event despite returning a positive result, having already been diagnosed and recovering from the disease last November.

Under the current rules, players are only allowed to enter Australia after returning a negative COVID-19 test taken just prior to departure, or with specific approval to travel as a recovered case.

Tennys Sandgrens positive result was reviewed by health experts and determined to be viral shedding from a previous infection, so was given the all-clear to fly, Victorias Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Lisa Neville said.

No one who is COVID positive for the first time – or could still be infectious – will be allowed in for the AO.

Upon arrival, players and their teams are subject to the same two weeks of mandatory quarantine as other international arrivals, however players are allowed to undertake five hours of training per day at designated facilities which form part of a quarantine bubble.

(Xinhua)09:24, January 10, 2021

BERLIN, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — The tense mood at Bayern Munich has rarely been more pronounced than at present, as the 2020 treble winner seems to have lost its confidence after letting in the 24th goal in 15 league matches.

Ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup and the Champions League matches, coach Hansi Flick faces unexpected difficulties that could put a wrench in the works of the Bavarians 2020/21 season.

The reigning German champions tactics are seemingly an open book and reveal considerable weaknesses.

Bayerns defense isnt providing the secure platform for its risky attacking game.

New arrivals and old hands are both a long way off top form.

DEFENSE INSTABILITY

They caught us with some long balls after we lost the ball and our defense was in disorder, striker Thomas Mueller said.

The central defenders like Niklas Suele, David Alaba, and Jerome Boateng lacked stability and their errors led to goal opportunities for their opponents. The trio also seems to lack speed and a positional sense.

For the first time in a decade, Flicks team threw a 2-0 lead when losing 3-2 to Moenchengladbach.

The last time Bayern conceived so many goals so early in the season was in the 1981/82 Bundesliga season.

It is far too easy to score goals against us, midfielder Leon Goretzka commented.

Bayern might consider further new signings as target Dayot Upamecano (Leipzig) wont be available before next summer. Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic denied plans to consider winter-transfers and said the squad has the necessary quality.

We need to solve our problem of shoring up the space behind our defenders, Flick stated.

FULL AND WING BACK INSTABILITY

After injuries, Benjamin Pavard (right side) and Alphonso Davies (left) are not in good form compared to last season.

But Bayerns game depends on the defense initiating attacks. Simultaneously, wingers such as Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Douglas Costa, and Leroy Sane are not meeting expectations.

In the league encounter against FSV Mainz (5-2), Bayern managed to turn the game around after going 2-0 down with the help of midfielder Joshua Kimmich at right-back.

Moving Kimmich to the back is only seen as an exception as Flick made clear that the 25-year-old is vital in midfield where he is an inspirational figure.

RESERVES LACK QUALITY

German record international Lothar Matthaeus assumed that the Bayerns bench is not as well equipped as the national rivals such as Leipzig, Dortmund, and Leverkusen.

As a fact, several new arrivals have fallen far from expectations. Leroy Sane might be the most prominent example in addition to Douglas Costa, Bouna Sarr, Marco Roca, Tanguy Nianzou, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

On top of that, the unsolved future of defenders such as David Alaba and Jerome Boateng remains a problem. While Austrian international Alaba is rumored to be leaving for either Real or the Premier League, Boateng faces growing difficulties in the twilight of his career.

(Xinhua)09:53, January 10, 2021

Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan (R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Victoria, Seychelles, Jan. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Yan)

VICTORIA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday.

Wang said that Seychelles is a pearl on the Indian Ocean, an important member of the big family of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, and a country that has long been friendly with China.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Seychelles. The two countries have always treated each other as equals and achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation, setting a good example of sincerity, friendship, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes between big and small countries, said Wang.

China firmly supports Seychelles in taking a development path suited to its national conditions and in the governance efforts of the new Seychelles government, he said.

We believe that Seychelles will also continue to support China on issues concerning Chinas core interests. We are ready to take the opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road and implementing the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Beijing Summit to take our cooperation to a new level and build a community with a shared future for both sides in light of the economic and social development needs of Seychelles, said Wang.

Wang said that China is willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Seychelles in the three areas of green environmental protection, blue ocean and tourism.

China fully understands the urgent desire of small island countries to cope with climate change. The two sides will sign the implementation agreement on the construction of low-carbon demonstration zones in South-South cooperation, he said.

China is also a major maritime country and would like to deepen cooperation with Seychelles in the fields of seafood farming, marine scientific research and shipping transportation, he said.

Seychelles is a country built on tourism. China is ready to encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Seychelles after the epidemic is brought under control, said Wang.

Wang said China is ready to listen to the views of Seychelles, work with African countries to prepare for a new FOCAC session, align development strategies, deepen the Belt and Road international cooperation, promote Africas development and revitalization as well as independent and sustainable development, and upgrade China-Africa cooperation.

China regards Seychelles as an important member of the international community and stands ready to work with it to uphold multilateralism and international fairness and justice and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, said Wang.

Ramkalawan warmly welcomed Wangs visit to Seychelles, saying that it shows Chinas support for Seychelless fight against the epidemic.

Ramkalawan stressed the traditional friendship between the two countries and that China was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Seychelles.

He thanked China for its long-term and valuable support for Seychelles economic and social development. In particular, China provided several batches of anti-epidemic materials to Seychelles in time during the epidemic, which played an important role in Seychelless fight against the epidemic.

I myself would like to take the lead in administering the Chinese vaccine, he said.

Seychelles regards China as an important cooperative partner and fully agrees with the proposal of pragmatic cooperation put forward by China, which well meets its needs, said Ramkalawan.

Seychelles will continue to adhere to the one-China principle, understand and support Chinas legitimate position, strengthen coordination with China in international affairs and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries, said Ramkalawan.

Wang also held talks with his Seychellois counterpart Sylvestre Radegonde on Saturday.