TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2018 07 Taking the bull by the horns

A A bull wrestler throwing a bull to the ground during a show

A bull wrestler throwing a bull to the ground

A bull wrestler Huang Feilong wrestling a bull during a show at an arena in Jiaxing, China’s Zhejiang province.

A traditional sport of China’s Muslim Hui ethnic minority, the practice has come under fire from critics in China who say it constitutes animal cruelty.

A bull wrestler crashing into a barrier AFP | Jiaxing, China tling at the Haihua Martial Arts the centre of a faux Roman am- 23-year-old from China’s eastern sily, shrug off their attackers or Centre, about 100 kilometres (62 phitheatre where performances province of Anhui. dash for the nearest exit. hen 21-year-old Chi- miles) southwest of Shanghai. are put on for Chinese tourists. “Once you get to know them Han wants to spread bull wres- nese martial artist Li A traditional sport of China’s A muscular martial artist riles they are actually quite gentle tling further through annual Zhen first stepped Muslim Hui ethnic minority, up the animal by pushing its Our bull wrestling is and well-behaved,” he added. competitions that he says al - W not bloody or cruel. into the ring to wrestle an the practice has come under fire head from side to side before The years of hard martial arts ready attract more than a hun- adult bull he was naturally in- from critics in China who say it handing it over to the challenger. We use our deep training become clear as the dred athletes from diverse com- timidated. constitutes animal cruelty. “We use our deep knowledge knowledge of Wushu young men grapple with the bat disciplines like mixed mar- “I was pretty scared. It’s a bull, The centre’s master Han Hai- of Wushu and its techniques to and its techniques to bulls by their horns, muscles tial arts, judo and taekwondo. after all,” he said. hua disagrees. throw the bull down without throw the bull down popping as they strain against His ultimate hope is for the He risked having a leg snapped “Our bull wrestling is not hurting it,” said Han. without hurting it,” the powerful bovines’ necks sport to break into the Olympics. under the animal’s weight, being bloody or cruel,” the burly In matches, points are scored while deftly avoiding being “Bull wrestling reflects a per- gored, or trampled. 65-year-old said, comparing it by forcing the bulls off-balance stomped in a kind of drunken son’s wisdom and technique, and But Li’s training got him over favourably to Spanish bullfight- and pushing them to the ground. dance. of course promotes strength and HAN HAIHUA those fears and he is now one of ing’s ritualised killing of the an- “The difficult thing about it is The bulls appear at times tests courage. It would be great a group of Wushu, or kung fu, imals. that people and bulls are not the disinterested, perplexed, or an- if it could be an Olympic sport,” athletes who train in bull wres- The docile creatures are led to same weight,” said Li Bo, a hefty noyed as they tumble over clum- he said. Tributes, mourning as ’s boss killed in helicopter crash Leicester, United Kingdom be opened at the stadium from Tuesday and the team has post- eicester City’s Thai billion- poned its upcoming League Cup 5,000-1 odds Laire boss was among five fixture against Southampton. people killed when his helicop- “Everyone at the Club has ichai bought Leicester tom of the table for most of ter crashed and burst into flames been truly touched by the re - VCity in 2010 and moved to the 2014/15 season, the Foxes, in the side’s sta- markable response of the foot- chairman the following Febru- as the team are nicknamed, dium car park moments after ball family, whose thoughtful ary, pouring millions into the then engineered what fans now taking off from the pitch, the messages of support and soli- team and becoming a beloved fondly refer to as the “Great Es- club said on Sunday. darity have been deeply appre- figure in the club and the city cape”, winning seven of their A stream of fans already ciated at this difficult time,” the -- a feat rarely achieved by the last nine matches. They ended fearing the worst had laid out statement said. foreign owners. up finishing 14th, securing an- flowers, football scarves and Police named the four other It was under Vichai’s own- other season in Europe’s rich- Buddhist prayers outside the victims as Nursara Suknamai ership that Leicester crafted est league in 2015/16. But not club’s stadium after and Kaveporn Punpare, two one of the biggest fairytales even their most devout fans Saturday’s accident in tribute to members of Vichai’s staff, pilot in English football by winning could have imagined what hap- Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha -- the Eric Swaffer and passenger Iz- the 2015/16 Premier League, pened next. Vardy scored in 11 man they credit for an against- abela Roza Lechowicz. having started the season as consecutive matches, propel- all-odds Premier League victory Vichai, 60, the owner of Thai- 5,000-1 outsiders for the title. ling them to a title without par- in 2016. land’s King Power duty-free Languishing at the very bot- allel in Premier League history. “The world has lost a great empire, was a regular at match- man,” the club said in a state- es who used to fly to and from ment. “Leicester City was a fam- home games. The blue chopper in its rear propeller shortly after Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, ily under his leadership. It is as took off from the middle of the takeoff. one of the heroes of that success, a family that we will grieve his pitch once the stadium had emp- “Struggling to find the right posted on Instagram. passing and maintain the pursuit tied after Saturday’s 1-1 draw words....but to me you are leg- “Thank you for everything you of a vision for the club that is with West Ham. Eyewitnesses A portrait of Leicester City Football Club’s Thai chairman Vichai end, an incredible man who did for me, my family and our now his legacy,” it said. said the helicopter appeared to Srivaddhanaprabha is seen amid flowers and tributes outside the King Power had the biggest heart, the soul club. I will truly miss you.... may A book of condolence will develop a mechanical problem Stadium in Leicester of Leicester City Football Club,” you rest in peace... #theboss”