U.S.A. / SPORTS
December 1, 2014
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9
Pacquiao fight a boost to boxing in China
PRIZED PUGILISTS. World Boxing Organization
(WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (top
photo, right) of the Philippines fights with WBO junior
welterweight champion Chris Algieri of the United
States during their world welterweight title boxing
match at the Venetian Macao in Macau. In the bottom
photo, Olympic boxing gold medallist Zou Shiming
(right) of China fights with Kwanpichit Onesong-
chaigym of Thailand during their flyweight boxing
match also held at the Venetian Macao. The lights of
the Las Vegas Strip still shine brightly when it comes
to the biggest events, but China may someday get its
share, too. (AP Photos/Kin Cheung)
By Tim Dahlberg
The Associated Press
ACAU — Bob Arum learned
something
about
Chinese
boxing fans earlier this year at
his company’s first fight card in Shanghai,
where the crowd yelled and cheered for the
home country boxers all the way up until
the main event.
Then, with no Chinese fighter in the
ring, they suddenly went quiet.
“There was nothing,” Arum said.
“Halfway through the fight, half the crowd
walked out.”
That they stayed that long is an
indication that Chinese fans are at least
beginning to understand a sport once
banned in the country. That wasn’t the
case in April last year when two-time
Olympic gold medallist Zou Shiming made
his pro debut and professional boxing
made its debut in the gambling enclave.
“The first show we did with Zou you
could have heard a pin drop,” the longtime
promoter said. “They didn’t know how or
when to cheer or seem to understand much
about it.”
Things were much louder when Zou was
the featured undercard fighter as Manny
Pacquiao returned to the ring in the main
event to win a lopsided decision over Chris
Algieri. The arena at the massive Venetian
resort was filled with bleary-eyed
gamblers long before the main event,
though many of them were non-Chinese.
“The fact it’s on in the morning doesn’t
seem to matter,” said Ed Tracy, president
and CEO of the Venetian. “Most of them
have been up all night anyway.”
On part of the state sanctioned CCTV
network, millions tuned into a broadcast
that, unlike in the U.S., was free of
charge.
If boxing isn’t exactly exploding in
China, there’s little doubt it’s beginning to
find its own niche. Pacquiao and Algieri
helped fill hotel rooms at the Venetian over
the weekend and bring in millions of
dollars in extra revenue from visitors as
eager to spend money in the resort’s lavish
shopping mall as they were in the crowded
casino.
It’s not Las Vegas, but the concept is the
same. Just like the casinos in Macau began
as copies of Vegas resorts, the fights follow
the same pattern of appealing to sports
fans with deep pockets who enjoy a wager
or two.
And Chinese fans are not only learning
when to cheer, but how long to stay.
M
“They’re beginning to know boxing,”
Arum said. “It’s a relatively easy sport to
understand, which is part of its beauty.
But it’s really a universal thing. And the
Chinese people are becoming boxing fans.”
Zou is undoubtedly the biggest reason
for that. He won gold medals in 2008 at
home in Beijing and in 2012 in London,
becoming a national name in the process
and introducing the sport to millions of
Chinese more accustomed to martial arts
contests.
Still, when Arum was first presented
with the idea of paying big money to the
112-pounder making his pro debut, he had
to think twice about it. With a chance to
enter the potentially lucrative Chinese
market, he ponied up $300,000 for Zou to
fight in a four-rounder.
Zou has fought all five of his pro fights at
the Venetian, and reportedly has drawn
the attention of Chinese president Xi
q
Longer visas for Chinese could spur U.S. tourism
familiar faces in major U.S. destinations
such as New York City and Las Vegas,
smaller cities and other parts of the
country could also see a boost. Tourism
officials say visitors will have the option to
make multiple trips and explore more of
the country.
The U.S. and China have announced
that both countries would grant tourists
and business travellers visas valid for up
to 10 years. Previously, travellers could
get, at most, a one-year visa.
By Deepti Hajela
The Associated Press
EW YORK — A rule change that
allows Chinese visitors to come in
and out of the United States
multiple times over a 10-year period is
being hailed as a boon to America’s
tourism industry. Estimates put the po-
tential economic impact at up to $85 billion
by 2021.
While Chinese visitors are already
N
q
Harvard and UNC sued over admission policies
By Philip Marcelo
The Associated Press
B
OSTON — Affirmative action
policies at Harvard University and
the University of North Carolina
(UNC) at Chapel Hill have been
challenged in court.
A lawsuit against Harvard alleges the
university limits the number of Asian
Americans it admits each year, arguing
that white, black, and Hispanic applicants
are given racial preferences over better
qualified Asian-American applicants.
The lawsuit against UNC alleges the
university is not in compliance with a
Supreme Court ruling that concluded
colleges trying to diversify their student
population should pursue “race-neutral
alternatives” first, rather than race-based
affirmative action policies.
The suits were filed in Boston and
Greensboro, North Carolina, by the
Project on Fair Representation.
The plaintiff in both is Students for Fair
Admissions, a nonprofit whose members
include students and parents.
The universities did not respond to
requests for comment.
Jinping. After defeating the previously
unbeaten Thai fighter, the plan is to have
him fight for a title as a headliner in the
same arena.
“You can look for a very, very different
event then that is going to be very Asian
centric,” Tracy said. “It’s a hell of an oppor-
tunity for us to put on a very good show.”
Zou wasn’t the only homegrown fighter
on the card. Rex Tso from neighboring
Hong Kong improved to 15-0 at super
flyweight, while 154-pounder Macau
native Kuok Kun Ng also won. The
Chinese boxing roster isn’t exactly deep,
but it’s growing relatively fast.
Pacquiao also seems quite at home in
Macau, where he doesn’t have to battle the
effects of jet lag to Las Vegas. His
350-member entourage managed to cram
on two planes for a short flight from the
Philippines to watch their own national
hero, who was guaranteed more than $20
million and didn’t have to pay millions in
taxes that would come due from a fight in
the U.S.
That doesn’t mean Macau will get the
biggest fights. It won’t, even if they involve
Pacquiao, who Tracy envisioned fighting
three of his last five fights in Macau when
he made the deal with Arum.
The lights of the Las Vegas Strip still
shine brightly when it comes to the biggest
events. But China may someday get its
share, too.
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