Prisoners in Tibet Celebrate New Year with Sport

Home>>Life

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 05, 2003

Prisoners in Tibet Celebrate New Year with Sport

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Prisoners in the Tibet Autonomous Region enjoyed themselves Monday by showing their strength and agility in a basketball match instead of enjoying the Tibetan Lunar New Year celebrations at the Johkang Lamasery.

The New Year's contest was the final of eight matches between inmates of the Prison of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the region's only jail for committers of serious crimes, female criminals and criminals who sabotaged national security.

The audience cheered and applauded the good plays of their team and hissed at the opponents for their misplays. The two teams wore yellow and white respectively.

After the judge, also a prisoner, sounded the half-time whistle, players talked about their performance and listened to the coaching from their wardens while drinking beverages and smoking.

The white team's Wang Gyaibo, jailed for robbery, posed quite a challenge to his opponents with his swift actions though he was not a particularly tall guy.

Wang said he liked playing basketball very much before being imprisoned, but had never imagined playing it in the prison.

"My basketball skill has improved here," he said.

However, his team lost the match 37-47 to the yellow team.

The prison also organized a tug-of-war contest Monday morning. Winners of the two matches were awarded after the matches.

Lu Bo, chief officer of the prison, said the prison organizes sports games and performances every year to celebrate Spring Festival and the Tibetan Lunar New Year.

The Prison of the Tibet Autonomous Region now has 900 prisoners. The inmates attend vocational training programs four days a week and study law, Tibetan, Chinese, English and computer courses one day a week.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Tibetan New Year Celebration Continues

Tibetans Celebrate New Year

Interview: Why Does China Start Lunar Exploration Program? ( 5 Messages)

China-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Upgraded ( 19 Messages)

New Type of Nuclear Reactor Put into Use in Beijing ( 3 Messages)

Will Russian Oil Pipeline Lead to China or Japan? ( 23 Messages)

China's GDP Hit 1.23 Trillion US Dollars in 2002: NBS ( 4 Messages)

UAE Appeal on Saddam's Fate Draws Mixed Reactions ( 3 Messages)