Still one and a half years away to the Beijing Olympic Games,
Chinese sports officials have already been mulling over candidates
for the Chinese flag-bearer in the 2008 opening ceremony.
"Yao Ming and Liu Xiang are absolutely the hottest favorites for
the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Games," said
Xiao Tian, deputy minister of Chinese General Administration of
Sport.?
"Some female athletes also have a realistic shot at the honor,"
added Xiao, who didn't mention the names of any possible female
candidates.
NBA star Yao Ming and men's 110m hurdles world record holder Liu
Xiang are regarded as the icon of Chinese sport.
The 2.26-meter tall Yao, who was the NBA first draft pick in
2002, carried China's national flag at the opening ceremony of the
2004 Olympics in Athens, while Liu replaced Yao as the flag-bearer
at the closing ceremony after winning the men's 110m hurdles
Olympic gold medal with a world record-tying time of 12.91
seconds.
According to Xiao, the Chinese flag bearer needs to be a world
champion with sportsmanship, good looks and physique.
With the absence of Yao and late arrival of Liu, badminton world
champion Bao Chunlai was selected to carry China's flag at the
opening ceremony of the Doha Asian Games on December 1.
"Bao Chunlai meets those three requirements perfectly," Xiao
said.
Yang Yang (A) became the first Chinese woman athlete to carry
the national flag at a major multi-sports meet when the double
speed skating Olympic champion ushered in the Chinese delegation at
the Turin Winter Olympics last February.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)