Sneak Peek 2010, Part V

Here’s the fifth installment of our Beijing 2010 preview: what’s opening, who’s coming, when it’s happening, where to play and what lies ahead.

ON THE FIELD

Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010

Can China improve on the 11 medals they won at Torino 2006? Their success stories have been in short-track speedskating, freestyle aerials and pairs figure skating. Also keep an eye on the women’s snowboarding team (top of the rankings) and women’s curling team (current world champs). Go Team China! (Feb 12-28)

FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010

China isn’t there, but everybody in China will be watching anyway. (Jun 11-Jul 11)

Snooker

WPBSA China Open. Beijing University Students Gymnasium (Mar 29-Apr 4)

Tennis

Sony Ericsson WTA and ATP Tour: China Open. National Tennis Center (Oct 4-10)

Cycling

UCI World Cup: World Cup 4. Laoshan Velodrome (Jan 22-24)

2010 Combat Games

Thirteen martial arts and combat sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic, unite in Beijing for a fight to the death. OK, maybe not to the death. (Aug 28-Sep 4)

Real Madrid

The record European Cup winners have signed an agreement to return to China to play a pre-season game at the Bird’s Nest. Will they bring their galacticos?
(Aug 8)

AFC Champion’s League

Beijing Guoan kick off their quest for continental glory on February 24 against Melbourne Victory. Their participation is guaranteed until at least April 28.

BIG BEATS: THE SYNDICATE

The drum & bass team looks forward to their sixth birthday party this spring and promises to keep bringing great drum & bass and dubstep DJs to Beijing. They’ll also keep fans in the loop with their podcast. What about a few tracks from Syndicate DJs in 2010?

Dan Stephenson, co-founder, says:

“I hope that these ‘members-only clubs’ and elitist nightlife spots that have cropped up in 2009 die – quickly. Are Beijing party people really interested in social eugenics experiments like these? I guess for insecure hipsters who want to wear their RMB 9,000 jeans only amongst those who can appreciate them, the answer is yes.

“We’ll keep pushing great music events from the drum & bass and dubstep world, providing an alternative to the hollow mainstream hip-pop or dull-as-dishwater techno and house that seems omnipresent. Also, I’ll be writing my autobiography, The Syndicate will be starting a new record label every month, and [we’ll be] writing a play based on Syndicate history.”

BLACKBERRIES

As 2009 spluttered to a close, Research In Motion (RIM) signed a deal with China Mobile allowing RIM to sell web-enabled BlackBerry handsets to consumers and smaller businesses in China. BlackBerries have been available to larger corporations in China since 2006. Whether or not the China BlackBerry will be an iPhone-style compromise is unclear, but we expect it on the shelves in 2010.

AT THE CINEMA:
FIVE FILMS WE HOPE MAKE IT TO BEIJING’S BIG SCREENS

Iron Man 2 (May)

The return of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Starks would be enough. The addition of Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson spells blockbuster.

Gulliver’s Travels (June)

Jack Black as Lemuel Gulliver and famous people made all tiny by Monsters vs. Aliens director Rob Letterman. Sounds better than the Ted Danson mini-series.

The A-Team (June)

In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they did not commit … Maybe you can call on Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) and Sharlto Copley (District 9) in this big-screen remake.

The Green Hornet (June)

The fat man from Knocked Up stars in a comic book adventure. Sounds delightful. Stephen Chow, who was previously down to direct, is in the supporting cast.

Despicable Me (July)

Kids’ films tend to get a better run at the Chinese box office. Hopefully, this will be one of them. An animated caper of three girls stopping someone called Groo from stealing the moon. Steve Carell and Julie Andrews add a spoonful of sugar to the voice talents.

Click here for previous installments:

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/01/11/Sneak-Peek-2010-Part-I
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/01/12/Sneak-Peek-2010-Part-II
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/01/13/Sneak-Peek-2010-Part-III http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2010/01/14/Sneak-Peek-2010-Part-IV