Party's over: China tells fans to end birthday blowouts for sport idols

Chinese officials have warned fans against holding big birthday celebrations in honour of national team athletes, saying they can be distracting and are a waste of resources."Such events not only use up a great portion of public resources but can also easily interfere with athletes' preparations for competitions," the official said according to state broadcaster CCTV. Organisers' unauthorised use of the athlete's image may also infringe upon their rights, the person said, adding that fans should