Fighters and performers from around the world come to Beijing

With only a few days left before the kick-off of a massive martial arts gala, organizers of the Sportaccord Combat Games 2010 Beijing say they are ready to rumble and expecting a tournament to remember.

Rehearsals for the Aug 28 opening ceremony in the National Indoor Stadium went off without a hitch on Monday afternoon.

The ceremony, which will be witnessed by thousands and involve athletes from more than 100 countries, will not only feature various martial arts displays but include singers and performers from Asia and beyond.

Tata Young, a famous pop singer from Thailand who is among those invited to perform, said she was impressed by the "spectacular and powerful" event.

"It was especially powerful when I saw the people involved - old and young, men and women, and all of them gave their spectacular performances on the stage," she said.

A Japanese singer who is also taking part said the tournament is sure to be something special.

"No matter which sport or martial art is on display, as long as I see someone working hard and fighting for their dreams and never giving up, I will be deeply moved," said Kousuke Atari.

The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on Saturday night.

Jet Li, the Chinese kungfu star, will represent Chinese martial arts and light the torch. Jackie Chan, another famous kungfu star, will also take part, performing the event's theme song, Tian Xing Jian.

Chan, who flew to Beijing on Friday to record the song, told media he hopes Chinese martial arts will eventually be accepted as an official event at the Olympic Games.

The Sportaccord Combat Games 2010 Beijing will continue from Aug 28 to Sept 4 and is being billed as the biggest comprehensive international sports event to be held in the capital since the Summer Olympic Games in 2008.

The world's top 20 exponents of the martial arts, as selected by the World Sport Association, will be among those competing in the 13 programs, which will include Chinese martial arts, Japanese sumo and Muay Thai.

Li Weidong, director of the Olympic Sports Center Stadium, said preparations at the venue are already complete.

As one of three venues hosting events during the eight-day competition, it will see competition between 300 athletes from 67 countries.

"The time schedule is very tight, but we are sure that things will go smoothly because we have rehearsed several times," he said.

China Daily

(China Daily 08/24/2010)