Chen, Gade make final push for Olympics

With the 7,000 Olympics points he got for winning the Asia Championships, Chen Jin is now less than 2,000 points ahead of Denmark's Pete Gade, to sit at world No 4 and halfway to securing China's third men's singles berth in London.

Gade could still dash Chen's Olympic dreams – if he wins the ongoing India Super Series, which means he and Chen probably will meet for a showdown in the semifinals.

They both entered the last eight after winning their second round matches on Thursday.

Soccer trials not over yet

As two of the highest-ranking former football officials stood trial on Tuesday and Wednesday, the public thought the 2 1/2-year nationwide clampdown on football corruption reached the end. However, it doesn't seem that way, as they refused to plead guilty.

Xie Yalong, former director of the Football Administrative Center, was charged with accepting more than 1.7 million yuan in bribes from 1998 to 2008. To the surprise of many, he denied most of the charges in the 12.5-hour hearing on Tuesday, and revealed that he had been tortured with electric shocks, beaten, and doused with water while being interrogated during investigations by police during his detention in Liaoning province.

He added that he had admitted to crimes he didn't commit because he feared for his life.

Liaoning police denied Xie's claim of torture and denounced it as "groundless".

Nan Yong, Xie's successor, was charged on 17 counts of bribery totaling 1.5 million yuan ($236,000). He confessed to having taken money and gifts but didn't admit that those acts were crimes.

Also on Wednesday, the trial of the former head of the Chinese Football Association's referees committee, Li Dongsheng, and four other former national team players convened in Liaoning province.

Apology accepted

Guo Jun, secretary-general of the Dalian football association, apologized to Tao Xingying, a reporter from the Shanghai-based Xinmin Evening News, on Wednesday. Guo was suspended from his post for beating Tao during a press conference after Dalian Shide lost to Shanghai Shenhua, 1-0, during their Chinese Super League match on Saturday.

The attack, in which Guo grabbed Tao's neck, and another man cuffed and kicked her and pushed her into a pool of water on the ground, was one of the most notorious in recent years, triggering an outcry from media circles, who called on better protection for their peers.

Ding crashes out at snooker worlds

It seems no snooker stadium in the world is desired by Ding Junhui. After a first-round exit, 10-9 to Ryan Day at the Snooker World Championships on Wednesday, he bristled at the treatment he received from the fans.

"I don't think the tables were right, I don't think the fans were right. It was all rubbish," said the 25-year-old. "They just kept shouting. People say Chinese fans are no good, but I'm here and what do they do?"

Camp 'Linsanity' coming to China

Jeremy Lin, voted Time magazine's number one most influential person, will make his third visit to the Chinese mainland this summer.

Lin, whose meteoric rise in the NBA league became the biggest sports story in the world this year, will hold a basketball training camp in China to share his skills to 80 Chinese youths from across the country.