Japanese beach volleyball 'fairy' shoots for Beijing Olympics

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2007

TOKYO (AFP) — Pin-up girl Miwa Asao has a tough fight ahead of her to reach the Beijing Olympics, but she has already succeeded in setting off a new craze in Japan for beach volleyball.

Nicknamed "the fairy on the beach", the 21-year-old has juggled her sporting ambitions with success as a fashion model and television personality.

More than 20,000 copies have been sold of her 1,995-yen (16-dollar) book of racy photos -- with editions bearing her autograph selling for 10 times as much. Another 13,000 of her DVDs have been sold.

But Asao, who stands a well-built 172 centimeters (5-foot-8), insists she does not like being called a "fairy."

"A fairy has an immaculate image, but I get more suntanned than other people, so I always feel uncomfortable about...