Wearing mesh tank tops over glittery bras, the cheerleaders waved their pom-poms nonstop and danced with gusto -- if only to stay warm in the unheated basketball arena.
The smiling young women have come to expect a crowd response as chilly as the winter winds outside. They shimmy to Shakira as spectators stare sullenly, then prance off the court to anemic applause.
Maybe the Beijing Olympics can change things.
PHOTO: EPA
China's 1.3 billion people are crazy about sports, but not cheerleaders. Women here who have embraced the all-American phenomenon hope that plans to have cheerleaders perform at this summer's games will bring some glamor to their profession in China and get more fans fired up.
"I don't know if it's because of Chinese people's personalities or maybe because basketball culture isn't so ingrained that they're still scared to let loose," cheerleader Li Qi said a few days after the weeknight women's basketball game, without a whiff of bitterness. "We're used to it. That's just how it is."
The Aug. 8 to Aug. 24 Olympics is a huge celebration of national pride for China, and organizers are encouraging ordinary Chinese to play a role. Along with more than a million volunteer applicants and retirees learning English to communicate with foreign visitors, cheerleaders also are eager to leave a mark on the highly anticipated event.
Cheerleading got its official start in China in 2002, when the Chinese Basketball Association took a cue from the NBA and hired professional dancers to replace the schoolgirls who performed aerobics during breaks in play.
For five years, Li Qi has cheered at everything from basketball games to company anniversary celebrations. But the dancing is simply foreign to many Chinese fans, who would rather puff a cigarette or stretch their legs during breaks in play.
A Beijing resident who watched Li and her teammates from the Soojin Dance troupe perform at a recent handball tournament said he hoped there would be no Western dance routines at the games.
"The Beijing Olympics represent China. China should showcase the best of China for the world ... If you bring out foreign performances, the foreigners will say, `This is garbage from home, why did we come all the way to see this?'" Shen Jing half-shouted, stabbing the air with his finger. "We don't want garbage! We want China's best and most exciting."
Soojin Dance has performed at several competitions viewed as test events for the Olympics, from beach volleyball and handball to a wheelchair basketball tournament. Olympics organizers say they have not decided how cheerleaders will be involved at the Beijing Games.
Li used to be a children's Web site editor but quit her job because she felt guilty taking off so much time for cheerleading. Now, she is costume manager for the Soojin troupe, earning 1,500 yuan (US$200) a month, half of her previous salary. She supplements her income teaching yoga a few times a week.
Li spends her days coordinating costumes for performances and keeping track of the multiple sets of more than 50 different outfits. The cheerleaders say they cannot compete with the athleticism or curvaceous physiques of their NBA counterparts, so they try to stand out with unique outfits.
Purple hot pants with matching slouchy leg warmers, glittery silver suspenders, gauzy Middle Eastern-style skirts, white ruffled halter tops and shimmery bras are packed into large black fabric bags stacked along one wall of the office. A favorite is a super-short version of a traditional Chinese dress -- Velcro fasteners allow it to be ripped off to reveal a skimpier costume underneath.
Nineteen-year-old rookie Song Xueqing has not fully explained the job to her family. Her parents live down south and have yet to see her perform.
"I just told them that I joined the Soojin Dance team, I said, why don't you take a look online," said Song, grinning. "They looked, and my grandma, who's really old-fashioned, said, `Look at those girls wearing outfits with their bellies showing!'"
"And so I didn't say anything. If my grandma saw the clothes I was wearing, she'd go crazy!" she said.
Three hours before tip-off for the women's game between the Beijing Great Wall and Liaoyang Golden Lions, the cheerleaders were rehearsing in the empty arena.
No one bothered to turn on the lights, so the six young women practiced in the weak sunshine filtering through a skylight spanning the length of the court. It was late afternoon and grew steadily darker as they discussed formations and spacing.
"We basically all have jobs and do this part-time. So you can't expect a lot, all we can do is try our best," Li said.
Inter on Sunday were given a letoff when they snatched a late 1-1 derby draw with AC Milan, while league leaders SSC Napoli were held by a late goal at AS Roma. Reigning champions Inter remain three points behind Napoli, who looked to be heading five clear as they led in Rome until Angelino volleyed in a stunning leveler in the first minute of stoppage-time. Angelino’s strike gave even more significance to Stefan de Vrij’s last-gasp equalizer at the San Siro. The defender forced home Nicola Zalewski’s knockdown just as it looked like Tijjani Reijnders’ opener would be enough for Milan. “I can
The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets on Saturday did not disappoint in a thrilling midseason matchup in front of a fired-up sellout crowd of more than 18,500 fans. The top two teams in the NHL delivered with a combined nine goals, including the 877th of Alex Ovechkin’s career to put him 18 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. That tied the score, the Jets pulled it out in overtime and just about everyone involved got their money’s worth out of the 5-4 game. “We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” Winnipeg coach Scott
BACK-TO-BACK: The League One club, which is owned by stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is sparing no expense to clinch promotion to the Championship Hollywood endings are pricey, even in England’s third division. In pursuit of their third straight promotion, Wrexham AFC splashed some cash at League One rival Reading to secure the services of striker Sam Smith. The Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney confirmed the signing of the 26-year-old Smith on Friday. He is one of the top scorers in the third division. The transfer fee was not disclosed, but British media widely reported it to be about ￡2 million (US$2.48 million) — not extravagant, but a hefty price at this level and it would be about the same figure that
Less than a week after splashing out a world-record fee for Naomi Girma, Chelsea has spent big again to bring England midfielder Keira Walsh back to the English Women’s Super League. Walsh left European champions Barcelona after more than two years to join Chelsea for a reported ￡400,000 (US$496,000) on Friday. Walsh was the world’s most expensive player for two years after moving to Barcelona from Manchester City for a reported ￡400,000 in 2022. That status now belongs to Girma, the US defender who cost Chelsea a reported ￡900,000 to sign from the San Diego Wave. Still, it means 27-year-old Walsh — a technically
RSS