25 November,2010 09:09 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
Bollywood songs in China town!
Imagine hearing a Hindi film song in a country that does not even speak English properly. But that's what happened at the Foshan Lingnan Mingzh Gymnasium, venue for the boxing competition here. After a couple of bouts featuring Indian boxers, the organisers played the background score of Shah Rukh Khan's Don and followed it up with the superhit song Pappu Can't Dance Sala from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na over the loud speaker in the boxing hall. Needless to say the few Indian supporters were amazed.
We are sorry, sir
The volunteers (mostly Chinese) of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee, it seems, have been taught to apologise at once in any and every situation. Yesterday, they continuously pleaded their helplessness even as members of the Indian media contingent here blasted the inadequate media facilities at the Foshan Lingnan Mingzh Gymnasium. Not only is the media centre as small as a one-bed room flat, but there is a serious dearth of tables too. "How can 30 of us accommodate ourselves in just 12 tabled seats," asked one irate scribe, to which the hapless staffer replied once again almost in robotic fashion: "We are sorry sir."
Comic relief
Chinese teenager Xia Shiying, who won three gold medals in the women's dragon boat events, told reporters recently that she normally buys comic books with whatever prize-money she gets from competitions. The 13-year-old, who won the 1000m, 500m and 250m straight races here, said: "I'll just hand the three gold medals and most of the prize money to my parents - they will take care of it for me. But I'm allowed to take a little of the money, which I will use to buy some more comic books," said Shiying.
