体坛英语资讯：Big net cast for Chinese tennis champs

China's very own Roger Federer or Justine Henin could emerge from an inaugural international tennis tournament staged for elite under-14 players in Beijing last week.

Funded by benevolent businessman Li Hansheng, the Chinese International Youth Open (CIYO) attracted 64 players from more than 20 countries and regions - 32 of the young stars from across China.

Emulating a French prototype that is as much about cultivating a good grip on the racket as it is on life, the CIYO was won by French boy M. Julien Musy and Romanian girl Radu Ingrid.

Although they emerged victorious at China Tennis Association's headquarters last Saturday, scores of new friendships and mind-opening experiences far from home made winners of all entries.

Since the French Youth Open was founded in 1991 by Jacques Laurent, a technical director of famous Parisian sports club Stade Francais, the tournament has evolved into a miniature five-week European circuit that blends competition with educational workshops for youngsters from 60 countries.

Each year 5,000 French kids vie for a few positions in the circuit hosted by France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

"At 15 the better players have got agents, but 14 is a good age because they're moving on from their families and after that we could not do education because it's all about tennis," the fit-looking Laurent said.

"Some of them are going to get to the top but others are going to live another life and be big businessmen and we want them to be good people."

The goal Laurent shares with China Open U14 patron Li Hansheng, a Hong Kong real estate mogul who forked out hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund the event, is to transplant the French format in China.

"My goal here is to have 10,000 kids to play the competition across many cities and have a lot of them come to Beijing to play," Laurent explained.

He and Li are acquainted through a mutual contact at CCTV, and plan to use the Sunday program Li owns on the network's Teenager Channel as a spotlight in the search for China's own Federer or Henin, both current world No 1s and products of the European Young Star Association circuit.

"I paid the French side 200 thousand euros to get their admittance and I also paid all the expenses of international players and organizing staff here in Beijing," the philanthropic Li told China Daily.

Chinese women Zheng Jie and Yan Zi's doubles victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon last year inspired Li to throw his considerable wealth not behind the top level of tennis but where it will ultimately count most: grassroots.

"I do it because I am fully aware of the big impact that sports may make to their lives," he said.

"I love to see them play, I love to see them grow through competition and I believe they will be a force in the world some day by competing at this tournament."

Integral to the success of the European version has been its double commitment to educational initiatives.

Visits to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum have complemented programs run in conjunction with the United Nations Science and Education Cooperation Organisation (UNESCO), to which Henin is international tennis's ambassador.

"We developed some workshops about respect for fair play and the environment, because we have to teach them to be good human beings as well as tennis players, and in others in respect of anti-doping with WADA (World Anti-doping Organization)," Laurent said.

"And I'm very surprised with the Chinese ... they have had huge groups learn calligraphy and on Saturday evening they had a kung fu presentation.

"They also organized a trip to the Beijing Opera, so the children are learning cultural lessons and that's why it has worked very well in Paris."

Players at the China Open were guaranteed at least four matches and kept busy away from competition with visits to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

"We went to a Chinese tea party and saw other performances and it was good to see," 14-year-old English girl Lisa Mill, from Surry, told China Daily.

"And going to the market was a hell of an experience, but we got good presents for our family."