National Games mascot torn down after netizens says it's fugly

In September, the city of Tianjin will host China's 13th National Games, but the event is already off to an inauspicious start.

On Thursday, a leafy representation of the game's mascot, Jinwa ("Tianjin's baby"), appeared outside a city sports stadium, only to mocked mercilessly by Chinese netizens who have called it perhaps the ugliest thing that they've ever seen.

"This thing is terrifying to look at in the light of day, I can't imagine seeing it at night. It will probably scare someone to death," wrote one web user.

"Whoever designed this should never be allowed to design anything ever again," commented another netizen.

"Jinwa: 'I get my bad looks from my father,'" wrote another Weibo user.

All of this mockery has caused Jinwa to be torn down...

and decapitated.

So, it looks like it's back to the drawing board for officials in charge of the games. Reportedly, Jinwa's design was the result of a year-long public competition. Meanwhile, Chinese netizens aren't terribly confident about the committee deciding on a not butt-ugly alternative, particularly considering China's history with mascots. Everyone remember Kang Kang?

[Images via Sina]

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