Into watersports? No, not that kind. We’re thinking more along the lines of surfing. And yes, you can surf in China. The weekend of 6 November will see the second Hainan Open. Since the huge success of the first competition the event has grown rapidly and picked up awesome sponsors Quicksilver, Source and Icon X. The entry fee is a bargain at RMB500 including bus transport to and from Sanya, two nights twin-share accommodation in Riyuewan, and three meals over the two-day contest period, as well as prize giving and participant pack. Heats are open to both male and female competitors of all skill levels in the shortboard, longboard and bodyboard surfing categories. Or you could just go and watch?

 

Asia’s first ever kiteboarding tour is coming to China. Xiamen is due to host the first leg of the event on October 29. Colored kites will be sprinkled over the beach all weekend and board riders will be hurtling around at the bottom of them, pulling tricks which could kill them if done wrong. This will be one hell of a show. The event has been flagged by the big bosses at the International Kiteboard Association and they will recognize competitors in the world rankings (something that has never been done before in China). The sport has also just been officially recognized as a division of sailing and has competition categories including speed, wave riding, course racing and freestyle. It’s exciting times for kiteboarding and extreme sports in China – get on board.

 

October 11-23 sees Jinan, Shandong, hosting the 11th National Games of the People’s Republic of China. Also known as the All China Games and held once every four years, the premier sports event at the national level is effectively an in-house Olympics, with provinces and cities taking each other on in almost every event one can imagine, from aquatics and archery to weightlifting and wrestling. With everybody from Shanghai and The Peoples Liberation Army to Hainan and Xinjiang represented, there are sure to be some intriguing match-ups.

 

The Second Annual Yangshuo Climbing Festival will be held from 13-15 November, bringing together China’s top sport climbers. The weekend includes clinics taught by some of the world’s best rock climbers, screening of climbing videos, informative slide shows, a free climbing treasure hunt, friendly climbing competitions, music, food, beer and socializing.

The 7th International Horse Racing Festival will be held at the Orient Lucky City racecourse in Wuhan this month, and the big news for those who fancy a flutter is that the central government is mulling over the introduction of gambling on the races, in a move that is being touted as the resumption of gambling on horse racing on the Chinese mainland, an industry that could create three million jobs and bring in a staggering RMB40 billion in tax revenues a year.

For those who can’t wait for the Shanghai ATP Masters 1000 for their tennis fix, the China Open is taking place in Beijing from 2-11 October. While the men’s competition is a lowly ATP 500 Series event (sniff, sniff) the women’s competition is part of the Premier Series of the 2009 WTA Tour, which means all the big names and a guarantee the girls will be gunning for glory!

 

While it may not actually be in China, we’re confident that the start of the NBA season and the prospect of seeing Yi Jianlian and, of course, Yao Ming back in action will register on the national consciousness. The big man has been out with a hairline fracture in his left foot sustained in the playoffs in May, but doctors removed the cast in August to examine his hefty size 18s and, according to Houston GM Daryl Morey, “everything is on track. Next season, the outlook is very good.”

 

Badminton: Mongolia International Series 2009, October 7- 10 Squash: Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Squash Open, October 12-18 Football: Final games of the Chinese Super League Season, October 31 Triathlon: 2009 Hong Kong ITU Triathlon Premium Asian Cup (in Disneyland!), October 17-18 Kites: Shenzhen International Kite Festival, October 23-27 Marathon Swimming: Hong Kong FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2009, October 4

 

 

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