BEIJING, June 30 -- The sweating wrestlers are struggling to pin down their rivals on the mat amid cheers from exciting spectators.

    The ongoing game is part of the 2009 National Chinese-style Wrestling Championship which began on Saturday in north China's Handan city in Henan Province.

    The three-day game was co-hosted by General Administration of Sport and Chinese Wrestling Association, attracting 312 wrestlers from 38 teams around the country, including 226 male athletes and 86 female athletes.

    Of all the 18 gold medals on offer, 10 are for men and 8 for women.

    SOUNDBITE: Ma Jianguo, chief referee of the game, said, "The rule of Chinese-style wrestling is very simple and understandable. For the wrestler, if any part of the body other than two feet touches the mat, he will lose point."

    According to Ma Jianguo, Chinese-style wrestling has a history of over 4,000 years. This traditional Chinese martial art, which combines grapples and strikes and emphasizes the perfect integration of strength and techniques, is especially embraced by people in North China.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shijiazhuang. (XHTV)