Huang Jianxiang
Encyclopedia
Huang Jianxiang is one of the best-known sports commentators in China
, formerly of the state-run network China Central Television
(CCTV). He was fairly well received in his commentating of football, particularly at the FIFA World Cup
and the German Bundesliga
, although he also commentated during various multi-sport events such as the Olympic Games and the Asian Games
. He received international attention during a World Cup commentary incident on June 26, 2006 when he commentated on the match between Australia and Italy, where he yelled passionately for several minutes. Having already received widespread media attention in China for his alleged affair with SuperGirl Zhang Liangying
and a widely publicized divorce case with his ex-wife, Huang's notorious commentary became extremely controversial, and propelled him to become the subject of hordes of criticism in print media and on the internet. He resigned from CCTV on November 2006 and joined Hong Kong's Phoenix TV.
Huang has one daughter, with a wife whom he divorced. He was rumoured to have had an affair with a Super Girl contestant Jane Zhang.
match between Italy
and Australia
, as the on-field commentator of CCTV
, Huang Jianxiang unexpectedly revealed his pro-Italian bias in an anti-Australian rant while commentating on the last minutes of a live match broadcast to many millions in China. This commentary has been compared to Bjørge Lillelien
's "Your boys took one hell of a beating". He shouted himself hoarse in the process, and celebrated the Socceroos' exit from the Cup:
Huang was initially unapologetic for his controversial commentary in the post-game linkup with CCTV. He stated that he could not be impartial all the time and he did dislike the Socceroos because the team reminded him of the New Zealand
team, most of whom lived abroad, which beat China in the World Cup qualifying tournaments
in 1981.
Huang's commentary sparked a barrage of complaints as well as several press criticisms the following day. His commentary was replaced with another commentator's when the video of the match was replayed by CCTV. After reviewing his commentary, Huang eventually apologised on the state-run CCTV the next day, and posted an apology on its website for his unwarranted prejudice. He did not commentate on the next game.
Huang appeared live on CCTV again while he acted as commentator to the Germany vs. Argentina(BallackVSTangoBrigade) match on 30 June 2006, which quashed the rumour that he has been dismissed by CCTV. He commentated on many subsequent matches, including the final between France and Italy held in Berlin
on 9 July 2006. All these matches were co-commentated with a fellow commentator.
On the contrary，people supporting Huang public voiced their opinions on several online forums to prevent his dismissal. A number of on-line parodies
of Huang's match commentary became available on the Chinese websites such as on NetEase and Sina.
On November 16 2006, Huang Jianxiang announced his resignation from CCTV, citing he needed a break from his busy schedule.
CCTV sports director Jiang Heping
told the Chinese media that Huang's resignation was a personal decision and had nothing to do with his controversial commentatary during the World Cup.
-based Phoenix TV network in early December 2006, citing that they had offered the most lucrative deal to him over Hunan Satellite TV and Chongqing Satellite TV. Director Zhang Guoli
has reputedly asked him to become an actor.
Huang's second book, To struggle as a man — I am that "soccer narrator" (像男人那样去战斗 — 我就是那个"说球的"), was published in April 2006. This autobiography tells story of his life as a sports commentator since 2000 and gives his candid viewpoints regarding Chinese soccer and world soccer, as well as several major international sports events he experienced.
Weibo
On August 20, 2009, Huang posted his first weibo
entry on Sina Weibo
. As of June, 2011, he is being followed by more than 5.6 million fans and have posted more than 12,000 weibo articles.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, formerly of the state-run network China Central Television
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
(CCTV). He was fairly well received in his commentating of football, particularly at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, although he also commentated during various multi-sport events such as the Olympic Games and the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
. He received international attention during a World Cup commentary incident on June 26, 2006 when he commentated on the match between Australia and Italy, where he yelled passionately for several minutes. Having already received widespread media attention in China for his alleged affair with SuperGirl Zhang Liangying
Zhang Liangying
Jane Zhang also known as Zhang Liangying is a Mainland Chinese pop singer. She rose to prominence after her third-place performance in the 2005 season of the Super Girl contest, a national all-female singing competition in the People's Republic of China. Throughout the competition, she sang in...
and a widely publicized divorce case with his ex-wife, Huang's notorious commentary became extremely controversial, and propelled him to become the subject of hordes of criticism in print media and on the internet. He resigned from CCTV on November 2006 and joined Hong Kong's Phoenix TV.
Biography
Huang Jianxiang grew up in a family of soccer fans. His grandfather and his father were two early soccer fans in China. He became a soccer enthusiast in his school years.Huang has one daughter, with a wife whom he divorced. He was rumoured to have had an affair with a Super Girl contestant Jane Zhang.
- 1968, born in Inner MongoliaInner MongoliaInner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. - 1977, relocated to NanjingNanjing' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, JiangsuJiangsu' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, China - 1986, graduated from the High School Affiliated to Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.
- 1990, graduated from the China Foreign Affairs UniversityChina Foreign Affairs UniversityThe China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, People's Republic of China is a highly selective university for diplomats.- History :...
. Received his Bachelor degree in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. - 1994, joined CCTVChina Central TelevisionChina Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
Sports Channel (CCTV-5CCTV-5CCTV-5 , also known as the Sports Channel, part of the China Central Television family of networks, is the main sports broadcaster in the People's Republic of China. CCTV-5 began broadcasting on 1 January 1995...
), as a sports commentatorSportscasterIn sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. - 1995, first appeared on CCTV-5, associated with Li Weimiao, commentating on the Copa América 1995Copa América 1995The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams....
. - 1996, commentated on the 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, the 1996 European Football Championship and the Asian Cup 1996. - 1997, married Sun Ying. Commentated on the 8th National Games of the PRCPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. - 1998, commentated on the year's Football World Cup in FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Asian Games1998 Asian GamesThe 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
in ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and African Cup of Nations1998 African Cup of NationsThe 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso was the 21st edition of the African Cup of Nations , the national football championship of Africa, administered by the Confederation of African Football . Just like in 1996, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
held in West AfricaWest AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. - 1999, commentated on the FIFA Women's World Cup 1999FIFA Women's World Cup 1999-Teams:16 teams participated in the final tournament. The teams were:-Squads:For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup squads.-Match officials:...
in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - 2000, commentated on the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. - 2002, commentated on the 2002 FIFA World Cup2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
held in South KoreaSouth KoreaThe Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. - 2004, commentated on the 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in GreeceGreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. - 2006, divorced. Commentated on the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Resigned from CCTV.
The incident
On June 26, 2006, during the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
match between Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and Australia
Australia national football (soccer) team
The Australia national association football team represents Australia in international association football competitions. Its official nickname is the "Socceroos"...
, as the on-field commentator of CCTV
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
, Huang Jianxiang unexpectedly revealed his pro-Italian bias in an anti-Australian rant while commentating on the last minutes of a live match broadcast to many millions in China. This commentary has been compared to Bjørge Lillelien
Bjørge Lillelien
Bjørge Lillelien was a Norwegian sports journalist and commentator.A commentator for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation from 1957 until just before his death from cancer in 1987, he commentated on many sports, but concentrated on winter sports and football.Lillelien was a popular and engaged...
's "Your boys took one hell of a beating". He shouted himself hoarse in the process, and celebrated the Socceroos' exit from the Cup:
- ... "Penalty! Penalty! Penalty! GrossoFabio GrossoFabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...
's done it! Grosso's done it! Don't give the Australians any chance."
- ... "The great Italian left back! He succeeded in the glorious traditions of Italy! FacchettiGiacinto FacchettiGiacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...
, CabriniAntonio CabriniAntonio Cabrini is an Italian football former player. He played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team....
and MaldiniPaolo MaldiniPaolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
, their souls are infused in him at this moment! Grosso represents the long history and traditions of Italian soccer; he's not fighting alone at this moment! He's not alone!!"
- ... "TottiFrancesco TottiFrancesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
, Totti is facing the spot kick. He is facing the expectations from Italian soccer fans all over the world."
- ... "SchwarzerMark SchwarzerMark Schwarzer OAM is an Australian association football player who plays as a goalkeeper. He currently plays for Premier League club Fulham. He rose to prominence during his time at North-East England football club Middlesbrough...
has saved two spot kicks in the World Cup qualifying tournaments, both of these were during the playoffs of the world cup qualification. Totti should have known this. Will he still be able to face the man in front of him with a smile? How about his expression after 10 seconds?"
- ... "Goooooal! Game over! Italy win! Beat the Socceroos! They do not fall in front of Hiddink again! Italy the great! Italian left back the great! Long live Italy! Happy birthday to Maldini!! Forza Italia!!"
- ... "He didn't let the Italians down. This penalty kick was an absolute one-off! Absolute one-off! Italy have made the final eight!"
- ... "The victory belongs to Italy, to Grosso, to CannavaroFabio CannavaroFabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy...
, to ZambrottaGianluca ZambrottaGianluca Zambrotta is a world cup winning Italian footballer who currently plays as a full back for Serie A club Milan.Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order in 2006.-Como:Zambrotta began his...
, to BuffonGianluigi BuffonGianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
, to Maldini, to everyone who loves Italian soccer!!"
- ... "The hell with them!" (Background voice)
- ... "The Socceroos might regret, HiddinkGuus HiddinkGuus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
! He played too conservatively and too calmly with one more player (than Italy) in the second half, he lost all his courage. Faced with the long history and traditions of Italian soccer, he didn't attack as fiercely as he did in the group matches. He finally reaped fruits which he had sown! They should go home. They don't need to go as far away as Australia as most of them are living in EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Farewell!"
Huang was initially unapologetic for his controversial commentary in the post-game linkup with CCTV. He stated that he could not be impartial all the time and he did dislike the Socceroos because the team reminded him of the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
team, most of whom lived abroad, which beat China in the World Cup qualifying tournaments
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
in 1981.
Huang's commentary sparked a barrage of complaints as well as several press criticisms the following day. His commentary was replaced with another commentator's when the video of the match was replayed by CCTV. After reviewing his commentary, Huang eventually apologised on the state-run CCTV the next day, and posted an apology on its website for his unwarranted prejudice. He did not commentate on the next game.
Huang appeared live on CCTV again while he acted as commentator to the Germany vs. Argentina(BallackVSTangoBrigade) match on 30 June 2006, which quashed the rumour that he has been dismissed by CCTV. He commentated on many subsequent matches, including the final between France and Italy held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 9 July 2006. All these matches were co-commentated with a fellow commentator.
Post-match reactions
Huang's outburst caused an uproar and then sparked a huge debate online and offline in China, as well as in Australia. His superior Zhang Bin, the director of CCTV Sports Channel, criticised Huang for first losing his voice (失声), next losing his cool (失态) then losing his politeness (失礼), and finally losing his mind (失常). Others criticised Huang for ceasing to be a neutral commentator at an official media and opined he should resign immediately.On the contrary，people supporting Huang public voiced their opinions on several online forums to prevent his dismissal. A number of on-line parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Huang's match commentary became available on the Chinese websites such as on NetEase and Sina.
On November 16 2006, Huang Jianxiang announced his resignation from CCTV, citing he needed a break from his busy schedule.
CCTV sports director Jiang Heping
Jiang Heping
Senior Editor Jiang Heping is a prominent executive at China Central Television , the state broadcaster of the People's Republic of China...
told the Chinese media that Huang's resignation was a personal decision and had nothing to do with his controversial commentatary during the World Cup.
Joining Phoenix
Huang joined the Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
-based Phoenix TV network in early December 2006, citing that they had offered the most lucrative deal to him over Hunan Satellite TV and Chongqing Satellite TV. Director Zhang Guoli
Zhang Guoli
Zhang Guoli is an award winning Chinese film director and actor. Zhang was a xiangsheng actor before he started working on films and television series. He is married to actress Deng Jie and their son Zhang Mo is also an actor....
has reputedly asked him to become an actor.
Quotes
- "I reckon that I am just the occupation standard", "though no people recognise my standard".
- "I am a human being, not a machine, and I can't be impartial all the time."
Books
Huang Jianxiang published his first book, Teases on Soccer (歪批足球), in 2000. This book reviews various typical soccer matches in China and other countries, including strategies, championship systems, cultures and other aspects involved in activities of soccer.Huang's second book, To struggle as a man — I am that "soccer narrator" (像男人那样去战斗 — 我就是那个"说球的"), was published in April 2006. This autobiography tells story of his life as a sports commentator since 2000 and gives his candid viewpoints regarding Chinese soccer and world soccer, as well as several major international sports events he experienced.
Microblogging in China
Weibo is the Chinese word for "microblog". It usually refers to one or all of the China-based microblogging services, or one's account at these services.-Terms:...
entry on Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo
Sina Weibo is a Chinese microblogging website. Akin to a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook, it is one of the most popular sites in China, in use by well over 30% of Internet users, with a similar market penetration that Twitter has established in the USA...
. As of June, 2011, he is being followed by more than 5.6 million fans and have posted more than 12,000 weibo articles.
