20 | Tuesday, May 25, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | DAILY SPORTS

WINTER OLYMPICS IOC, global community applaud Games preparations

By sun xiaochen heard reports from 2022 ities. So the legacy is already there. nizers also busy recruiting and eration, said Geerts, whose country’s [email protected] organizers on preparatory work and “Everything is ready now. And training volunteers, promoting coaches are working with China’s the introduction of the international everything will even be more ready grassroots winter sports participa- national speed skating team. “From Despite uncertainties cast by the dignitary program. nine months from now.” tion and finalizing post-Games ven- a Dutch point of view, we are very COVID-19 pandemic, the Interna- Beijing 2022 remains open to sug- Having completed all 12 competi- ue operation plans. keen and eager to cooperate where tional Olympic Committee and dip- gestions from all stakeholders and is tion venues across three zones in With facilities taking shape, glob- we can in winter sports,” he added. lomats from prominent winter committed to working closely with downtown Beijing, its northwest al dignitaries admit expectations As another European ice and snow sports nations have reaffirmed their the international community, espe- Citing Beijing’s pledge to leave a Yanqing district and co-host Zhang- are soaring that Beijing will again powerhouse, Switzerland is also confidence in witnessing a successful cially on the development of COVID- lasting legacy beyond 2022, IOC jiakou, Hebei province, Beijing 2022 play the perfect host, having staged looking forward to welcoming China Winter Olympics in Beijing next year. 19 countermeasures, to deliver a vice-president Juan Antonio Sama- organizers are now busy improving the summer Olympics to interna- into the winter sports community. Nine months out from Beijing streamlined, safe and splendid Games ranch said he is impressed by the COVID-19 control and prevention tional acclaim in 2008. Yet, it takes patience and time to 2022, officials from the global win- next year, said Zhang Jiandong, exec- Games’ role in promoting winter protocols tested during domestic “We’re very much looking for- build a culture for sustainable suc- ter sports community have lauded utive vice-president of Beijing 2022. sports in China. rehearsals in February and April. ward to bringing our sportsmen and cess, noted Bernardino Regazzoni, the host’s smooth preparations “We’ve pulled through the pan- “We not only praise your capacity Those reinforced measures will sportswomen here and to have a Swiss ambassador to China. through the pandemic, while plac- demic challenge with effective and of work, but the legacy that these be implemented during a series of great sports celebration,” Wim “You have the number (of popula- ing high hopes on the development innovative approaches to keep our Games have already started produc- 10 international test events, which Geerts, Dutch ambassador to China, tion), you have the interest and you of COVID-19 protocols to ensure preparatory work on track ... we will ing even before the start,” Sama- will be open to foreign athletes and said after the briefing. have the enthusiasm, I’m sure that safe yet exciting Games. proceed with caution and an open ranch said in a video speech played technical delegates, from October to With a huge market potential to the Olympic Games will boost all The global admiration for China’s mind to make sure that everything at Friday’s event. December. grow after the Games, China’s com- these,” he said. preparations was highlighted on Fri- will be completed on schedule and “The legacy on the venues, the leg- Non-competition facilities, such mitment to encouraging 300 million “I am confident you will also have day during the Games’ first diplomat- up to the highest standards,” Zhang, acy on the hundreds of millions of as the Olympic Village and Main people to participate in winter excellence in sports relatively new to ic briefing, where 120 ambassadors also a vice-mayor of Beijing, added Chinese people that would be Media Center, will be finished in the sports has helped find more com- China, but I think it has to be and officials from over 70 countries at the briefing. brought into the winter sports activ- second half of this year, with orga- mon ground for international coop- planned for decades.”

Stumbling to success Digest

curling Mixed doubles teams book Beijing berths Six teams have qualified for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics fol- lowing the completion of the group stage at the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship last Friday in Aberdeen, Scotland. The tournament welcomed 20 teams to compete in two groups of 10, with the top three teams from each group moving into the play-offs. Those six teams also secured spots at Beijing 2022. Sweden won Group B thanks to nine straight victories followed by Norway and Switzerland. Scotland topped Group A with eight wins and one loss to book Britain’s Beijing ticket. Canada and Italy finished second and third, both with seven victories and two defeats. The fourth-place Czech Republic and the United States will fight for seventh spot in next year’s Olympic line-up. Chinese pair Yang Ying and Ling Zhi finished only fifth in Group B, but China qualifies automatically for the Games as the host nation.

canoeing China qualifies for all Olympic sprint events China has qualified for all canoe sprint events at the Tokyo Olympics Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic (top) collides with Aston Villa’s Matt Targett during an English match at Villa Park in Birmingham on Sunday. Despite Chelsea’s after Zhang Dong won the men’s K1 2-1 loss, the Blues finished fourth to secure a place in next ’s Champions League at the expense of Leicester, which lost 4-2 at home to Tottenham on the final day. AP 1000 event at the final stop of the Olympic qualifier in Barnaul, Rus- sia, last Friday. The qualifier offered six berths for soccer the champion of each event — wom- en’s K1 200, K1 500 and C1 200, and the men’s K1 200, K1 1000 and C1 1000. Since China had already secured Olympic tickets for men’s and wom- China grits teeth for Cup mission en’s canoe and women’s kayak, only Zhang and Yang Xiaoxu represented ’s men steeled for crunch clashes in as qualifying hopes hang by a thread China in Barnaul. Zhang said his victory was the final piece of the Olympic jigsaw for By Shi Futian chances of reaching the next phase Team China in the previous qualifi- “Since Li Tie took over the the Chinese men’s team. [email protected] of qualification hang in the balance. ers in 2019, under Li Tie’s predeces- national team, all the core players “Now we have all the men’s quota China is eight points adrift of sor, Italian World Cup winner haven’t been able to train together places that were available for China, There’s no denying the odds are first-place Syria and only leads I believe the coaching . However, Brazil- at any of the previous training so this is a very proud moment for stacked against Team China as it third-place Philippines on goal dif- team have learned born strikers Alan, Fei Nanduo (aka camps, meaning the coach still has our country,” he said. attempts to revive its slim World ference. The eight group winners Fernandinho) and England-born to imbed his tactical philosophy. Cup qualification hopes. However, and four best second-place finish- from the mistakes we defender Jiang Guangtai (aka Tyias We need to get our starting XI in SOCCER fans have been assured that, even if ers will enter the next phase of made before and the Browning) are in line to make their sync for the first match. Time is of Bale fears ‘chaos’ if he Li Tie’s men come up short in their qualifying. debuts in the campaign. the essence,” said Chen, who told revealed future plans upcoming mission, it certainly “Li Tie is a very responsible and experience of past According to Xinhua, Wu joined Xinhua that the CFA will pay the won’t be for a lack of effort in their motivated head coach with a good victories. I have high Team China’s training camp last players a 12 million yuan ($2 mil- Gareth Bale said on Sunday he preparations. overall vision of the situation. Since Wednesday, just a day after landing lion) bonus should they qualify for knows where his future lies after fin- “First of all, I believe we have the he was appointed national team expectations and in from Barcelona. Wu the next phase. ishing his loan spell at Tottenham ability to qualify for the next stage head coach, we can see many confidence that Team was allowed to forego the regular “Also the Hotspur, but the Real Madrid for- of World Cup qualifying. It’s our changes,” Chen added. 14-day medical quarantine after started over a month ago and the ward claims his decision would responsibility to shoulder,” Chinese “He is really thorough, reviewing China will produce abiding by strict epidemic preven- players have been through the lock- “cause chaos” if he revealed it now. Football Association (CFA) presi- match videos of every friendly good performances in tion measures throughout his jour- down since then. The players’ phys- Bale finished the campaign with a dent Chen Xuyuan told Xinhua. match and training session so he ney from Europe. ical and mental condition must late double to clinch Spurs’ 4-2 win “And in terms of the preparation, can evaluate players and tell them the coming World “For the country, and for the fam- surely be affected.” at Leicester City. for over a year, we’ve been fighting how to improve. Cup qualifiers.” ily,” Wu posted on Weibo, accompa- Still, many observers insist now is The Wales attacker is due to for the same goal. “The second positive change is nied by a picture of himself with his not the time to focus on the return to Madrid next term, but the CFA president “I believe the coaching team have that he has instilled a better mental- Chen Xuyuan, daughter in an airport before set- negatives. Spanish club is reportedly keen to learned from the mistakes we made ity in the players, always reassuring ting off for China. “The Chinese side has every- sell him after he fell out with boss before and the experience of past them of their ability and telling As China’s brightest homegrown thing in order and the players are Zinedine Zidane. victories. I have high expectations them to have confidence. That’s League teams since Li took over the , Wu was a notable absentee also in high spirits. Teams like Bale has 12 months remaining on and confidence that Team China very important. He also invites team in early 2020, but the 44-year- from Li’s previous six training Guam, the Philippines, the Mal- his current deal in Spain, with Tot- will produce good performances in experts to offer psychological coun- old former Everton midfielder has camps due to his club commit- dives and Syria are not supposed to tenham potentially open to another the coming World Cup qualifiers.” seling to the squad. still yet to be tested in an official ments in Spain and pandemic trav- be the true rivals of Team China,” reunion next season. Team China, which has been “But preparing for the qualifiers international match due to the dis- el restrictions. He has been largely retired Chinese international Fan The 31-year-old said he would not training together since mid-May, has not just been a job for the play- ruption to the schedule caused by confined to the bench during a sea- Zhiyi, who captained the national announce his future until after the kicks off its four-game Asian zone ers. It’s a combined effort by the the COVID-19 pandemic. son in which his club, Espanyol, squad at the 2002 World Cup delayed Euro 2020 tournament, Group A finale against Guam on Chinese Football Association and Li is well aware of the sizable task earned promotion back to . finals, told media. which finishes in July. this Sunday before taking on the the entire coaching team. Li Tie ahead, and has attempted to bolster The 29-year-old’s lack of minutes “The key is to win the remaining “It will happen after the Euros”, Maldives on Thursday, June 3. After knows the importance of team his squad with the inclusion of five in Spain’s second tier has led to con- four matches before thinking about Bale told Sky Sports. “I know what a brief rest, Li’s men face stronger work and takes advantage of the naturalized players and the recall of cerns over his sharpness and ability the next stage of qualification. We I’m doing, but it’ll just cause chaos if opposition in the form of the Philip- knowledge of our entire team. All Spain-based striker Wu Lei. to quickly gel with the new natural- have home advantage so I don’t I say anything,” he added. pines, on June 9, and group leader these changes are the reasons why Among the naturalized contin- ized additions to the squad. think there will be a big problem. The win assured Tottenham fin- Syria on June 15. I’m confident in Team China’s per- gent, Brazil-born forwards Ai Kes- So despite thrashing Guam 7-0 in “I think the Chinese team needs ished seventh to secure a place in next Despite enjoying home advan- formances in the qualifiers.” en (aka ) and former the teams’ last encounter in 2019, Li to prioritize the tasks at hand and season’s new Conference League. tage in Suzhou, Jiangsu province China remains unbeaten in England youth international Tie isn’t taking the May 30 game be aware that their strongest rival is for all those games, Team China’s friendlies against Chinese Super (aka Nico Yennaris) have played for lightly. Syria.” Xinhua — AFP