ROC (Race of Champions) (2009).
During Nov. 2-4, 2009, National Stadium which was used for 2008 Beijing Olympic Games was changed to be a racetrack. ROC with a fabulous 21-year history came to China for the first time. There were magnificent races putting on. On Nov. 2, races of Chinese players began. Finally Dong Hebin won the first prize. Then on Nov. 4, races of international players followed. Ekstrom from Sweden beat others and got the champion.
Wonderful races and Elite players attracted not only millions of fans but also different media. CCTV-5 and GDTV Sport Channel broadcasted the whole three-day competition. The live lasted 9.5 hours accumulatively. The average audience rate was %0.4. In addition, foreign media such as ESPN and Europe Sports sent the live of the game to more than 120 countries and regions all around the world.
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“Beijing Jeep” China-France Culture Tour & Beijing-Paris Car Rally Competition (2004)
“Beijing-Paris Car Rally Competition” was the first time that Great Gate did a business internationally. We spent 8 months to prepare for this activity and 1 month to operate on it. During 29 days, traveling for 13337.5 kilometers, 42 ordinary Chinese people drove 15 cars made in China through 6 countries (Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France). There were no accidents. They finished the mission and experienced a culture tour. The activity publicized the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games to the world with their efforts perfectly. It showed the world that China was developing all aspects of sports, and we made the whole activity fabulous in our own way. What’s more, we accumulated many valuable experiences on international operation and the field of rally competition. This activity was a miracle. It started a brand new world in the field of rally in China.
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Real Madrid to China in 2003
On Aug. 2, 2003, Real Madrid brought Beckham, Ronaldo, Zidane, Figo, Raul, R.Carlos as well as the honor “World best football club of 20th Century” to Beijing, and had a match with “Jianlibao Dragon” at Beijing Workers’ Stadium. Real Madrid ended the competition with 4 goals.
This game swept the darkness SARS brought away and gave people more courage to face the life. It made Real Madrid most famous in China, and it should be an unprecedented commercial football match. It gained 140050000 people to watch the live, and hit a sky high audience rating record (%5.58 at CCTV-1 and %6.98 at CCTV-5). The stadium was fully filled with 50000 fans. This match was chosen to be “the top 10 commercial football matches in China” by CCTV-5.
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Barcelona CF to China in 2007
On the night of Aug 5, 2007, Barcelona ended the friendly match with beating Beijing Guoan by 3:0 in Beijing. The match was a memorial ceremony for 1 year countdown of Beijing Olympic Games and year of the cultural communication between China and Spain, and it also dedicated love and care to the disabled children in China. The event made a great effect among society and media.
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Real Madrid to China in 2005
This year was a memorial year that Beijing and Madrid had been friendship cities for 20 years. To celebrate it, the governments of both cities held a series of activities called “the Week of Madrid” in Beijing. As the name card and pride of this city, Real Madrid came to China again to communicate the different sport culture. This time Real Madrid caused a fiercer storm of enthusiasm. On Jul. 23, Real Madrid carried out a match with Beijing Hyundai. Though they fell behind twice, but eventually they beat Beijing by 3:2. Raul, Guti and Figo dedicated the three goals to the team.
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Crystal Palace’s three matches in China (Jul. 3-18, 1999 in Beijing, Dalian and Kunming)
During Jul. 7 and 21 in 1999, Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai who had successfully transferred to Crystal Palace Football Club returned to China with the team. Crystal Palace went on three friendly matches with Beijing Guoan, Dalian Wanda and Yunnan Hongta.
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Arsenal vs Beijing Guoan (1995)
The first commercial match held in China by Great Gate.
On May 17, 1995, Arsenal, an invincible England football club which just won the champion of UCWC led by President Hill-Wood came to China and attended a friendly match against Beijing Guoan. This was the first commercial match in China ever since China’s league had professionalized in 1994. With the strong support of 60000 fans at Beijing Workers’ Stadium, Guoan beat Arsenal by 1:0. This started the high waves of holding commercial football matches in China during the middle several years of 1990s.
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China PR vs England (1996)
On May 23, 1996, England came from faraway to Beijing to challenge China PR in order to warm up for the UEFA Cup. This was the last match of the warming-up series and England sent all the main forces in the start-line including many international top stars such as Platt, Shearer, Gascoigne and so on. The referee was Collina, Who refereed this only match in China.
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China PR vs Korea Republic (Sep 25, 1996 in Seoul & Nov 26, 1996 in Beijing)
These two contests lifted the curtain of the tradition of the contests between the two countries. This was the first time that Great Gate held a sport match in a foreign place. The contest between China and Korea has become one of the hotspots around China and Asia since then.
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'99 Vigor Professional Snooker Players Ranking Tournament (Mar. 8-14, 1999 in Shanghai China)
At the same time of occupying the field of soccer market, Great Gate was extending its business on other fields. During Mar 8 and 14 in 1999, cooperated with WPBSA and CPBSA, Great Gate held '99 Vigor professional snooker players ranking tournament in Shanghai. This tournament gathered all the top 16 players in the world and other 16 players who went through the qualifying competition, and it was the highest leveled billiard game held in China as well as one of the top games in the world. It started a high wave of playing billiards in Shanghai.
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In the field of culture and entertainment, Great Gate is also very positive and lively. Nov 8-15, 1997.Great Gate Wholly undertook a series of activities called “Recollection and Prospects of the World’s Records” in order to commemorate 120 years’ history of the world records and 90 years of China’s records. This series of activities included a discussion themed “Opportunities and Challenges-China’s Records stepping into 21st century”, a exhibition themed “Keep the Time-100 Years of World’s Records” and two concerts themed “Album of a century”.
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October in 1998-May in 1999
Great Gate produced “On the way”, a 20-chapter thematic documentary of Chinese football, cooperated with CCTV Sports Center and HLJTV. The documentary broadcasted at the prime time in August of 1999. “On the way” was the first documentary of Chinese football with massive interviews and detailed information focusing on the first five years of Chinese professionalized league. It gained many good comments and was transformed to DVDs and books.
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Mar. 26, 2000. “Dragon of Team”, the first awarding ceremony of Chinese football was held in Beijing. 14 awards were distributed to ones who deserved them. “Dragon of Team” was the only elective activity approved by CFA as well as the largest in scale.
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Oct. 22, 2001.China Football Lottery first released at the sport lottery administrative center of State Physical Cultural Administration in Beijing. Yuan Weimin, the chief of SPCA, pushed the button of the lottery machine and released the first piece of lottery.
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Celebrity of China football team was qualified for the FIFA World Cup (2002)
Oct. 7, 2001, China beat Oman by 1:0 and successfully burst out from the qualifying trials of Asia. It realized a dream of Chinese soccer fans that had lasted for 44 years. In order to memorize this brilliant event, Great Gate cooperated with “The Same Song”, a program of CCTV, held a splendid concert with 50000 fans at Wulihe Stadium in Shenyang. The carnival lasted more than 3 hours, but it also couldn’t express our joy and excitement. Football and music came into harmony and immersed everyone in peace and unity.
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Great Gate developed a good relationship with many people on football industry, organizations on sports extension and specific departments of the government through the communications natively and internationally for years.
During June 25, 1996 and July 2, 1997, Great Gate organized officers of CFA and coaches of Serie A League to go to Britain and learn from ’96 UEFA Cup. The group made a wide discussion with Britain experts and held a meeting themed “Conference of Chinese Football Training Work in London”.
On Aug. 10-27, 1997, Great Gate arranged for China Men’s Team to go to Britain to train and play 5 friendly matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forests and Charlton. It made a positive preparation for China Men’s Team to play qualifying games of 1998 FIFA World Cup.
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Players’ transfer in 1998
In order to speed up the development of Chinese football so as to catch up with the advanced level, Great Gate was trying to build a bridge for Chinese players to go overseas to start a new career.
In august of 1998, Fan Zhiyi and Sun Jihai, two top players of China, were transferred to Crystal Palace successfully by Great Gate. This was the first time that Chinese players transferred to a high-level club. It was a big bang among Chinese football fans. Chinese players were stepping to the international arena.
The transfer showed a huge Chinese market to the world. About 100000000 people watch the virgin show of Fan and Sun at Crystal Palace from authoritative statistics.
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Ronaldinho was signed with Lenovo in 2006
Lenovo who just purchased the PC business of IBM came to cooperate with Barcelona CF with the help of Great Gate and signed Ronaldinho, a most famous football star around the world, to be the mouthpiece.
With the help of Great Gate, Beijing Guoan and Real Madrid came together and signed the frame of “Real Madrid-Beijing Guoan Project”. From then on, China had the first club that contained somewhat foreign investment. “Real Madrid-Beijing Guoan Project” was a 6-year-long frame containing the content that Beijing Guoan should be the consultant of Real Madrid on athletic and economic area.
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