[size=117]
[color=red]The Archery World Cup Stage 1 was currently in progress in Shanghai (April 10 ~ 15).[/color]

[color=darkred]And yesterday (April 14), it was the individual, mixed team and team recurve final.

Yao Ming appeared in the Archery World Cup to cheer and rave support for the Chinese athletes.

But disappointingly, China only got 1 silver in the female individual, 2 bronze in the mixed team, and women team. As usual, the South Korean women dominate in the team and individual event. Chinese Taipei, however sprung a surprise beating Japan to win the gold medal for mixed team. Brady Ellison of USA won the men individual, while Ki Bo Bae of South Korea, argueably the best female archer in the world currently, won the female individual. Both Brady Ellison and Ki Bo Bae also led the USA men and South Korean women to win gold medals for the men and women team event. [/color]

[color=red]Here are photos of Yao Ming at the Archery World Cup together with Tom Dielen, the World Archery Secretary General.[/color][/size]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/379/37992/3799250_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/379/37992/3799251_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img4.cache.netease.com/photo/0005/2012-04-14/7V22MQJR4TCQ0005.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img3.cache.netease.com/photo/0005/2012-04-14/7V22MPN54TCQ0005.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img4.cache.netease.com/photo/0005/2012-04-14/7V22MPRF4TCQ0005.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/379/37991/3799191_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/379/37991/3799190_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img4.cache.netease.com/photo/0005/2012-04-14/7V22MPDB4TCQ0005.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340553732.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340553734.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340553736.JPG[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340559178.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340559193.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340553739.JPG[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120414/Img340559188.jpg[/img]

[quote="Dr. No"]Yao is heavier than when he was a NBAers, as do 95% of the retired ballers.

Michael Jordan,
Jerry West,
Charles Barkley,
Magic Johnson,
Shaq O'Neil
Karl Malone
Jerry Sloan
Patrick Ewing
John Stark
Hakeem Olajuwan
Avidas Sabonis
Jamal Wilkes
James Worthy

the only retired baller who hasn't gained weight is the string bean Reggie Miller

anyway, the heavier Yao is [size=117]not[/size] fat; this porker, Han Dejun of China's national team, is fat

[size=117]

[color=red]Today April 19 is a special day as far as Yao Ming is concerned.

It was on April 19 2002, [/color][color=darkred]when he led his Shanghai team to their one and only one CBA Championship, as well as the day he was officially given the go-ahead by CBA and his Shanghai team for the 2002 NBA Draft. [/color]

[color=red]That is PROBABLY WHY he picked the 10th anniversary day as his Yao Ming Foundation's launch of the inaugural 2012 Yao Foundation Project Hope Primary School Basketball League season in the China Youth University of Political Sciences in Beijing this afternoon.[/color]

[color=darkred]This will be the first ever nationwide basketball league for 47 Project Hope primary schools (including the 6 Yao Foundation Project Hope Primary Schools that Yao Foundation had built in the past 4 years (with 7 more in various construction/refurbishment stage), Project Hope primary schools recommended by Sichuan Youth Fund, Project Hope primary schools that were funded by China Charity Federation/BMW Warm-Heart Fund and Project Hope primary schools that had basketball playgorunds donated by the NBA Cares program). The league will last from May to September and hopefully it will become an annual event.

In his speech during the launch, Yao Ming said he loves basketball and had benefited from the sports. He wished through this project/undertaking of his Foundation, it will provide the platform that through basketball, poor kids (boys and girls) in some of the backward cities/provinces can participate and get new opportunities for growth and development, gain/earn friendship, happiness and self-confidence, as well as develop things like team work, personality, character, persistence, perseverance, will power etc. that they may not get just purely from books.[/color]

[color=red]In the launch, Yao Ming on behalf of his Foundation donated Renminbi 1 Million for this initiative.[/color][/size]

[size=117][color=darkred]Photos of Big Yao at today's launch of his 2012 Project Hope Primary School basketball season in Beijing.[/color][/size]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047929.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047935.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38305/3830545_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047931.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38312/3831213_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38305/3830547_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38305/3830548_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38305/3830556_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38312/3831222_550x550_0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047933.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047934.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photocdn.sohu.com/20120419/Img341047936.jpg[/img]

[size=117]
[color=red]10 months gone since Yao Ming's retirement, but his popularity has no signs to wane.[/color]

[color=darkred]When he arrived at China Youth University for Political Sciences in Beijing (an university which is supposedly the Central School of China's Communist Youth League) for the launch/press conference, students of CYUPS were quitting classes, chased him around, took photos from their mobile phones, and sending them onto their web micro-blogs/weibos.[/color][/size]

[size=150][color=red]CRAZY AS HELL !!![/color][/size]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/678b34f6jw1ds4wpagfkyj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/63ae9823jw1ds4yfcwp4ij.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6c242acejw1ds4y3pkmt6j.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/67972e52jw1ds4xy1qbsij.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6b50959cjw1ds4xq4wgm7j.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/7132fdebjw1ds4xo9d5xhj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6662ba3ajw1ds4xnhqgzjj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/62806f84jw1ds4xick0f7j.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6fa0581cjw1ds4xh1j9laj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww1.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6c77c9b1jw1ds4x98xdezj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/64d4abb3jw1ds4x9hk7vsj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww2.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/6981b534jw1ds4x8zs7rkj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww3.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/7f45eab9jw1ds4wvi07t3j.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/7190585bjw1ds4wpzbxvyj.jpg[/img]

[img]http://ww4.sinaimg.cn/bmiddle/67c07520jw1ds4wtjb7s8j.jpg[/img]

[quote="pryuen"][size=117]
[color=red]10 months gone since Yao Ming's retirement, but his popularity has no signs to wane.[/color]

[color=darkred]When he arrived at China Youth University for Political Sciences in Beijing (an university which is supposedly the Central School of China's Communist Youth League) for the launch/press conference, students of CYUPS were quitting classes, chased him around, took photos from their mobile phones, and sending them onto their web micro-blogs/weibos.[/color][/size]

[size=117][color=darkred]
Right after the team practice/scrimmage of the national team, Yao Ming took Liu Wei and Max Zhang Zhaoxu , the only 2 Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks players in the national team, out for a hotpot dinner, celebrating the 10th anniversary of Shanghai MAXXIS Sharks winning their one and only one CBA Championship back on April 19, 2002.

[img]http://ww3.sinaimg.cn/large/73043503jw1ds55dsz4hoj.jpg[/img][/color][/size]

[quote="pryuen"][size=117]

[color=red]In the launch, Yao Ming on behalf of his Foundation donated Renminbi 1 Million for this initiative.[/color]

[img]http://img1.gtimg.com/3/383/38312/3831213_550x550_0.jpg[/img][/size]

[size=117][color=darkred]A nice article from China Daily revealing[/color] [color=red]more details and what Big Yao wants to achieve[/color] [color=darkred]from his Yao Foundation Project Hope Primary School Basketball League undertaking.[/color][/size]

[quote]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012- ... 104447.htm

[size=150][color=red]Yao still at center (of charity)[/color][/size]

[size=109]2012-04-21

By Sun Xiaochen (China Daily)

[color=red]Yao Ming has found a new way to carry on his legacy. [/color]

Since his retirement last year, China's former NBA All-Star center has refocused his energy from the court to his charity.

Yao is eager to share the lessons 20 years of basketball taught him with underprivileged children in rural China.

"Although I am retired, basketball is still an important part of my life," Yao said during the launch of his new charitable project, Hope Primary Schools basketball, at China Youth University for Political Science on Thursday.

[color=red]"Since I first played the game when I was 9, basketball has taught me how to be optimistic about facing difficulties as well as how to coordinate my own interests with those of the team," Yao said. "I've realized a lot of my dreams and had so many precious experiences thanks to the game." [/color]

Now, Yao hopes the game will inspire children who are living in poverty and earthquake-stricken areas.

[color=red]The six-month program is a joint initiative led by the Yao Foundation, China Youth Development Foundation and the Chinese Basketball Association to improve physical-education manpower and facilities in 47 schools in rural regions across the country.[/color]

The campaign will draft college volunteers nationwide, train them to become PE teachers and send them to instruct children on basketball skills in those schools.

In addition, a forum will be held to discuss improving physical education on campus, and an exhibition basketball game will be staged.

[color=red]"The event carries on my idea," Yao said. "Hopefully, it will provide the children with confidence and joy, and help them to grow their dreams like I did." [/color]

Yao's interest in charity began in 2007, when he teamed with NBA stars including Steve Nash and Carmelo Anthony to stage the inaugural Yao Ming-Steve Nash charity game in Beijing to raise money for poor children.

The second edition of the game was held two years ago in Beijing and Taipei. Yao is working closely with NBA Cares to ramp up excitement in the event.

After the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Wenchuan in Southwest China in 2008, Yao donated 2 million yuan ($310,000) and set up the Yao Foundation to further aid the victims and other poverty-stricken people in rural China.

[color=red]So far, the foundation has brought in 44 million yuan in donations and set to work building 14 schools, seven of which are finished, that will educate more than 9,000 children.

"Charity will be my lifetime-long job as compared to my limited career as a pro athlete," Yao said. [/color]

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn[/size]

[quote="pryuen"]
[img]http://ww3.sinaimg.cn/large/73043503jw1ds55dsz4hoj.jpg[/img]