Beijing polo event to add nobility to Olympic city

BEIJING, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Beijing will stage its first formal polo tournament next month with organisers hoping the event will add an air of nobility to the Olympic city.

"We want to make the Polo Open another elite event of Beijing... in consideration of the international influence of this high-end brand, which is a noble sport," Sun Kanglin, head of Beijing Sports Bureau, told a news conference on Wednesday.

The Oct. 5-6 event, with 12 players from Brazil, Australia and New Zealand competing against local teams, is the latest effort to make Beijing an international sporting centre.

The host city of the 2008 Olympics has put in place an annual budget of 500 million yuan ($73 million) to help stage sporting competitions, including the revamped women's China Open tennis tournament which runs from Oct. 2-11. Link....