Call to prune National Games
Source: Agencies |
March 11, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S National Games, touted as the largest multi-sports event in the world, should be reduced in size to prevent corruption and waste, a member of China's top advisory body said yesterday.
The quadrennial games were first held in 1959 in Beijing.
"Under the huge pressure (of being evaluated by the number of titles won), there is a danger the gold pursuit can become twisted," Zhao Long, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told The Beijing News.
"Linking the gold medal count to a provincial government's success leads to under-the-table deals."
The 11th inter-provincial event attracted 15,133 athletes from 46 teams to Jinan, in east China's Shandong Province, last year.
The games opened under the cloud of a scandal in the diving competition after one of the judges accused another of manipulating the panel to decide the winners before competition had even begun.
There were fewer positive dope tests than in previous games, but they did include the winner of the women's 100 metres, Wang Jing.
"There have been so many doping, match-fixing, judging and age-faking scandals," Zhao said. "The general public is already deeply suspicious of the reputation of the National Games."
Zhao suggested the games be reduced in size by excluding highly professional sports - like football and basketball - winter sports and sports where less than a third of provinces have a team.
A member of the CPPCC delegation from Jiangsu, venue of the 2005 games, Zhao said he thought hosting the event should be restricted to the six provinces who have already done so.
"Cities' bidding to host the National Games is too wasteful," he said.
The quadrennial games were first held in 1959 in Beijing.
"Under the huge pressure (of being evaluated by the number of titles won), there is a danger the gold pursuit can become twisted," Zhao Long, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told The Beijing News.
"Linking the gold medal count to a provincial government's success leads to under-the-table deals."
The 11th inter-provincial event attracted 15,133 athletes from 46 teams to Jinan, in east China's Shandong Province, last year.
The games opened under the cloud of a scandal in the diving competition after one of the judges accused another of manipulating the panel to decide the winners before competition had even begun.
There were fewer positive dope tests than in previous games, but they did include the winner of the women's 100 metres, Wang Jing.
"There have been so many doping, match-fixing, judging and age-faking scandals," Zhao said. "The general public is already deeply suspicious of the reputation of the National Games."
Zhao suggested the games be reduced in size by excluding highly professional sports - like football and basketball - winter sports and sports where less than a third of provinces have a team.
A member of the CPPCC delegation from Jiangsu, venue of the 2005 games, Zhao said he thought hosting the event should be restricted to the six provinces who have already done so.
"Cities' bidding to host the National Games is too wasteful," he said.
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