CHINA: SOCCER - DAVID BECKHAM'S DEBUT FOR REAL MADRID LIKELY TO BE MOST WIDELY WATCHED SPORTING EVENT CHINA HAS STAGED
Record ID:
190201
CHINA: SOCCER - DAVID BECKHAM'S DEBUT FOR REAL MADRID LIKELY TO BE MOST WIDELY WATCHED SPORTING EVENT CHINA HAS STAGED
- Title: CHINA: SOCCER - DAVID BECKHAM'S DEBUT FOR REAL MADRID LIKELY TO BE MOST WIDELY WATCHED SPORTING EVENT CHINA HAS STAGED
- Date: 2nd August 2003
- Summary: (W5) BEIJING, CHINA (JULY 31, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIO OF THE BEIJING HOTEL THE HOTEL WHERE 'REAL MADRID' ARE STAYING 0.08 2. CROWDS OF FANS OUTSIDE HOTEL 3. FANS HOLDING PICTURE OF BECKHAM 4. FAN HOLDING A CAMERA 5. FANS HOLDING POSTERS WITH NAMES OF 'REAL' PLAYERS 6. CROWDS WATCHING BEHIND POLICE LINE (W5) BEIJING, CHINA (AUGUST 1, 2003) (REUTERS) 7. RAUL AND DAVID BECKHAM ARRIVING ON STAGE AT NEWS CONFERENCE 8. NEWS CONFERENCE 9. RONALDO AND DAVID BECKHAM BEING INTRODUCED TO NEWS CONFERENCE 10. PHOTOGRRAPHERS 11. DAVID BECKHAM SHAKING HANDS WITH THE PLAYERS 12. CROWDS AND MEDIA INSIDE THE STADIUM 13. FANS HOLDING 'REAL MADRID' SHIRTS TO BE SIGNED 14. FANS WITH SPANISH FLAG ON THE STANDS 15. 'REAL MADRID' PLAYERS JOGGING 16. MAN LOOKING THROUGH BINOCULARS 17. PLAYERS ON THE PITCH 18. DAVID BECKHAM PRACTISING WITH BALL 19. 'REAL' PLAYERS TRAINING 20. RONALDO SMILING 21. 'REAL' PLAYERS HAVING TEAM TALK 22. FANS WAITING FOR AUTOGRAPHS 2.52 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th August 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Reuters ID: LVA6KEOLMWO3QDJZAC1TIQP2PCWO
- Story Text: David Beckham's debut for Real Madrid is likely to
be the most widely watched sporting event China
has staged.
Almost one billion people in the country will have
access to Saturday's (August 2) friendly soccer game.
Crowds have greeted Real and Beckham everywhere they
have been since their arrival last week and about 500
Chinese fans swarmed the Beijing Hotel on Friday (August
1). The Spanish club's popularity has soared in the Far
East since they signed England captain Beckham.
'Real Madrid' striker Ronaldo praised new signing David
Beckham's passing skills and denied any rivalry with the
England captain. He also said Beckham was "kind" and that
the players often joked with him but needed fellow
Englishman Steve McManaman's help translating.
Ronaldo and Beckham attended a news conference on
Friday (August 1) with captain Raul before a training
session that was also beseiged with fans.
But 'Real' have exactly gone out of the way to meet the
fans. On Friday, they skipped a tour of the Forbidden City
after landing in Beijing after midnight.
In Kunming, they stranded hundreds of rain-drenched
fans who paid to see practices and bowed out of a banquet
with the provincial governor prematurely, blaming mix-ups
with local organisers.
But their celebrity might rub off in more positive
ways.
After 'Real' vacate their $320 U.S dollar/night suites
at the Beijing Hotel, the hotel plans to auction towels,
bathrobe, combs and shampoo bottles printed with the
players' names, Ms. Fan of the hotel public relations
department told Reuters.
Proceeds will go to children of nurses and doctors who
died on the front lines of Beijing's battle against the
SARS virus.
'Real' will play a select squad composed of players
from four Chinese A League teams in front of a sell-out
50,000 crowd at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing.
The game, which kicks off at 2000 local time (1200 GMT)
on Saturday, is the first of 'Real's four-match promotional
tour through the Far East.
After joining 'Real' from Manchester United for 35
million euros ($40.40 million U.S dollars) on July 1, this
will be the first test of how Beckham bolsters the t Li
Weifeng, who had a brief spell with Everton last year.
Retired striker Gao Feng is also making a cameo appearance.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None