Girls, girls, girls: Cheerleaders' bikinis blamed for putting off team at Asian Games

endofvid

[starttext]
By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Crowd-pleasers: But the beach volleyball cheerleaders at the Asian Games have been blamed for a team losing their concentration


The cheerleaders at the beach volleyball might have proved a welcome distraction to spectators at the Asian Games - but not all the competitors are so thrilled.

The Yemen team's Adeeb Mahfoudh has blamed the girls' skimpy outfits for putting off her team during a defeat by a more focused Indonesia at the event in China.

She said: 'They had an effect on how we played. I think they had something to do with our losing the match.'


On parade: These girls' outfits proved off-putting to the Yemen team in their defeat by Indonesia


Organisers of the Guangzhou Asiad have hired four cheerleader squads, each made up of eight girls in swimsuits, to entertain fans during breaks in the beach volleyball action.

Besides cheering on the crowds, the girls also perform routines that include traditional Chinese elements including martial arts and fan dancing.

However, Mahfoudh didn't harbour a grudge. 'These girls are very beautiful. With them here, more people will pay attention to beach volleyball,' she said.

'If I can, I hope to watch them perform at the next match.'


Racy routines: There are four different sets of cheerleaders, each featuring eight girls, to raise the crowd's spirits between breaks


During an 'inspection' tour earlier this week, Kenneth Fok, deputy delegation head of Team Hong Kong defended the activities at the beach volleyball venue.

He described the entertainment as 'orderly'.


All action: China (in red) win a point against Malaysia during their match at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou


source: dailymail [endtext]