Chinese Champions to be featured on Big Ten Network

A new television feature show produced by the University of Wisconsin–Madison will showcase the success of the Chinese Champions Program for a Big Ten Network audience.

The 30-minute program, “Beijing Badgers,” airs nationally at noon (CST), on Tuesday, Jan. 25 on the BTN. (Channel 73 on Charter Digital Cable in Madison, or on campus via ResNet 85-1 or through the datn.wisc.edu for those using the campus network.)

Produced by Madison’s John Roach Productions, the show documents the learning and life experience of a group of Olympic-caliber Chinese student-athletes and coaches who lived and studied at UW–Madison this fall as part of a unique partnership with Beijing University of Sport.

In addition to taking classes in kinesiology and sports management, the group visited Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, attending sporting events, visiting area sports-related businesses and clubs and appearing at other civic events. They also enjoyed a thrilling UW football season, appeared on the Camp Randall field during a game, toured Devil’s Lake, saw President Obama during his September visit and experienced Halloween on State Street.

The Chinese Champions program has been extended for three more years with the next group arriving this spring. The success of the collaboration greatly exceeded the expectations of the Chinese visitors, their UW–Madison hosts and members of the Chinese community in Madison.