China
Top 10 stories of China sports in 2009
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-31 09:35
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(9)Cue sports: World in pocket
It was a superb year for China's cue sports.
Star snooker player Ding Junhui announced his comeback by winning his second UK Championship title on Dec 13. It was also the 22-year-old's first major tournament victory since claiming the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy.
On the women's side, 16-year-old Liu Shasha became the youngest player to win the World Women's 9-ball Championships in Shangyang, Liaoning province, in November, the second Chinese winner of the event after Pan Xiaoting in 2007.
Also, Liang Wenbo reached the quarterfinals at the UK Championship. He was also only the second Chinese player and fourth Asian man to reach a ranking final at September's Shanghai Masters.
(10)National fitness: Sports for all
After topping the gold medal tally at last year's Beijing Olympic Games for the first time, China has expanded its focus from competitive sports to mass sports, calling on and helping more and more people to take part in and benefit from daily exercise.
August 8, the opening date of the 2008 Beijing Games, has been named National Fitness Day and various activities were held all over the country to mark the anniversary, including fitness lectures, table tennis competitions and a chance to seek help from sports scientists.
"The Olympics were not only the show of elite athletes but also the embodiment of sport's general values, which inspired more and more Chinese people to join sports enthusiastically," said Liu Peng, China's sports minister.
National Fitness Regulations came into effect on Oct 1. The regulations emphasize the rights of students to practise sports and encourage the opening of sports facilities to the public after school and on holidays.
While the athletes fought for medals at the 11th National Games in October, the organizers chose "Harmonious China, People's Games" as the motto to promote physical fitness nationwide rather than the Games being a mere a demonstration of the country's sports strength.
