
THE man on the rope walking on the wall was called Li Ning. His is the Chinese fairytale:
Chinese retailer Li Ning (李宁) is the biggest winner of the 2008 Beijing Olympics so far, after its founder and chairman – whose name the company bears - lit the cauldron at the final act of last night’s opening ceremony.
Li was a fantastic choice, and one that embodies China at this point in time. A young man from Guangxi, one of China’s less affluent provinces, and a member of the Zhuang, one of China’s ethnic minorities, Li joined the country’s first-ever Olympic team and came back from the 1984 Games with 6 medals. In 1990, as China was struggling with economic downturn and international boycotts, he went on to start a retail business bearing his name.
Today, Li Ning is a publicly traded company and China’s largest sports retailer. The company is not an official sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics – it was probably not big enough when sponsors were considered – but was largely affiliated with the games all along.
Looking after your own…
Posted: 11th, August 2008 | In: Back pages, Twitterings Comments (25) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments





August 12th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
gloria
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((hug))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
for you and you’re mum.
x
August 12th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Bye nosey! And ta!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Shame it got Tu Si Li for you Mic!
This hippo has been dealt a heavy blow by the LEA refusing a Smuddlet and has taken it very much to heart, since hippo’s Ma has a hopeless prognosis and it has all been a bit too much recently.
Artemis: I have decided not to wear a tutu anymore to ensure additional stealth when sidling up to skittish Saul. (by the way, the gecko called Artemis who turned out to be a boy is now called Arthurmis)
——–
M&A
Artemis
I am sorry to hear that you are faced with yet another distressing problem; it never rains but it pours.
Deities don’t go in for finger crossing, on the whole, but I shall make an exception in your case.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Gloria
Got to go
Trainee Cow is having a boyfriend crisis
Give those little smudlets and kittens a big hug from their aunty nosey
x
August 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Bye Mic
August 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Gorgeous Gloria
Hope the grim family illness is someone whos over 100.
You can beat the LEA - tell em tis parental choice - your human right as a hippo etc etc etc.
If all else fails threaten them with AGW
August 12th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
This is getting silly. I’m off into the village to post a letter before it starts chucking it down again.
Byeeee.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Locked away in the PC I’m afraid but when we get back on line, mine should still be the same.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Tu Lo Fo Yu
—-
M&A
Artemis
Saul has left for Scandinavia.
And not even a warning to his fellow posters that he had heard the rustle of a tutu.
August 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
MMMWWWHHHHHHHH
To you too. when will you be back online properly
Can you remember my email addy? or is it locked in the depths of your ancient hard disc?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
The waddling wallowers!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Hau lo du yu du?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Sorry nosey! I am sorry; I hate the dentist more than I hate spiders so I really didn’t mean to be cruel. Our PC is still broken and not a priority at the moment because of grim family illness and wrangles about school places with the LEA, so I pop into the library for a rationed hour or so, ostensibly to work on the LEA thingy, but I just cannot resist checking on Anorak and as I said I am pleased to catch you on here today. Mwah!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Gloria
Thought we could contact Rooney’s misses and become real hippo super models
How are the grusome twosome?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Tart!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Hau Lo?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
You could join me on the J. Kyle show - you with your intermittent teeth and me swivelling me one good eye!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I’m not tall enough to do hai5s, would you settle for a lower one?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Toothless
Run in with the dentist
bugger took out the one with the gold crown and didn’t give me a discount!!!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
.. and a Hai 5 to you, Mic!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
No - but I did get to the library today in the hope of catching YOU! How the Merry Devil are you????
August 12th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Turned out Nai Sagen!
August 12th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Oh me Oh mi
GLORIA HUNNYBUN are you back?
August 12th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
… until a certain little Lei Di comes by …
August 11th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
You should substitite ‘a lamppost’ for ‘the Chinese Dream’.
George Formby as a leading olympian…. well I never.