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Brazilian skateboarder Sandro Dias flips over the half pipe during the Skateboard Vert finals at the 2011 X Games Asia Shanghai leg on May 2. Photo provided to China Daily |
BEIJING - Each kind of foreign-based sport covets its own Yao Ming to broaden its appeal in China, that also goes for the X Games, the world's leading multi-event extreme sports competition.
Founded and promoted by the Entertainment Sports Programming Network (ESPN), the US-based sports media giant, the X Games is keen for a top-level Chinese player to emulate what Yao did for the National Basketball Association (NBA) to help boost the event's popularity in China.
"Local athletes competing at top events can generate a big amount of enthusiasm for a sport. Yao has proved that for the NBA," said Russell Wolff, ESPN's executive vice-president and managing director, during a teleconference to announce the X Games' expansion plans last Wednesday.
"An athlete, who could play a role as Yao did, at the X Games, would draw more attention in the country and motivate more teenagers to participate in the games," said Wolff.
The X Games, which started in 1995 and features events including skateboarding, BMX and snowboarding, has grown to become the most prestigious action sports competition worldwide. The games' icons, including skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and snowboarding great Shawn White, are idolized throughout the world.
In addition to the current four events - in Los Angeles, Aspen, Colorado, Tignes, France, and Shanghai - three new global festivals will be added to the calendar from 2013. The new host cities will be selected in 2012 through a bidding process for three-year deals with ESPN, the teleconference announced.
To expand the event's franchise in China, ESPN has held the competition's Asia event in Shanghai for five consecutive years.
This year's event, held from April 29-May 3, lured veteran skateboarder Andy Macdonald and seven-time gold medalist Bob Burnquist to compete in the four-day competition and set a new record of 61,200 spectators.
"ESPN was thrilled to have the X Games back in Shanghai for a fifth consecutive year," said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice-president of global X Games programming.
"We appreciated the organizing work of our local partner. The local flair and overall attendance were great," said Guglielmino, who also took part in the teleconference.
Despite its increasing profile, the street-style sports still lack a strong base in China, where Olympic sports rule.
Apart from the lack of local stars, limited access to the games might also be to blame.
Fans are unable to watch ESPN's programs on China's free public channels while the Shanghai Media Group's (SMG) Great Sport regional channel that broadcasts live the Shanghai event every year, only reaches local subscribers.
To reach more Chinese fans, ESPN has been working with SMG to seek more outlets for live games, and the event's website, xgames.com, is another platform to get involved, Wolff said.
"The country showed a huge passion for sports during the Beijing Olympic Games. Action sports are no different from the Olympics in terms of excitement and beauty. We are looking forward to X Games success here," Wolff said.
China Daily
(China Daily 05/24/2011 page23)
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