Monday, November 29, 1999

China foregoes cash to see Steel Roses blossom in Asia

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The women's Asian Cup organisers are happily swallowing a hefty financial loss just to give the China team home advantage in the biennial continental championship.Despite a lowest price of 20 yuan ($2.93), fewer than 1,000 tickets had been sold a day before the May 19-30 tournament kicked off in the southwest city of Chengdu, according to the Beijing Youth Daily.Students would be transported in to fill the stands but it wa unlikely the organisers would cover their eight million yuan ($1.17 million) costs even with a three million yuan contribution from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the paper said."As long as the Chinese team has the home advantage, however much money we might lose, we are happy," an official with Chengdu Football Association was quoted as saying.Eight-time Asian champions China finished runners-up to North Korea in 2008.The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has set the team a goal -- with a one million yuan inducement -- of getting into the final three and thereby qualifying for the 2011 World Cup.China, nicknamed the Steel Roses, open their campaign against South Korea on Wednesday.South Korean player Park Eun-sun, whose gender was questioned by China head coach Shang Ruihua, has been confirmed absent because of injury.($1 = 6.827 yuan)(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Nick Mulvenney; Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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