More than 2,600 spectators enjoyed a gala show featuring the 2024 Paris Olympic Games delegation from the Chinese mainland at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai on Friday evening.
At the show, members of the mainland Olympics delegation shared their experiences and feelings about competitions with spectators. Sixty-five athletes and eight coaches from the national team who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics are visiting Hong Kong from Thursday to Saturday.
A highlight of the three-day visit, the much-anticipated sports feast unfolded at 8:00 pm Friday, drawing a cheering crowd of more than thousands of residents - mostly young people - who had been lining up way before time. They gave a deafening applause to welcome the mainland Olympic medalists.
The gala featured a blend of crossover performances, sports tips sharing, storytelling, singing and dancing soaked up by the audience whose passion for sports and love for the country where very much evident.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu welcomed the elite mainland athletes with a speech at the stadium.
He said this was the seventh time since Hong Kong's return to the motherland that the central government had arranged such a visit, which reflected the central government's care and support for Hong Kong.
They demonstrated their talents in a number of disciplines to the delight of spectators. They also interacted with Hong Kong athletes and shared their skills.
Earlier in the day, table tennis phenom Fan Zhendong, a household name in China, shared a heartening Olympic story with a crowd of hundreds of residents at Hong Kong's Fire and Ambulance Services Academy.
"The Olympics enriched my life with meaning, where I enjoyed the process and made friends," said Fan, a two-time gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Friday was day two of a series of meet-and-greet events by a visiting delegation of Olympic stars from the Chinese mainland and also the second time such a delegation meets with the disciplined and auxiliary services members.
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After rousing applause and cheers from fans and officials in Hong Kong, a team of the visiting athletes entered the stadium of the academy onboard a double-decker at 9:00 am.
From demonstrating table tennis and boxing skills to sharing race walking tips and swimming techniques ... the sports stars have shared beyond just the sports knowledge, but also their sentiments, experiences and stories revolving around the sports they have practiced for years.
"Hockey is a team sport where partners trust each other and work together for a goal. This is also the most attractive part of the sport for me," said Ou Zixia, captain of the women's hockey team who won a silver medal for the Chinese Olympic delegation in Paris.
"Everyone may encounter difficulties from time to time, but with peers' support and encouragement, you will feel that there is always someone by your side, and that is the power of teamwork," Ou said, hoping that more residents will fall in love with the sport through the delegation's visit to Hong Kong.
Chris Tang Ping-keung, secretary for security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said the resilient and dedicated spirit of the Olympic athletes from the Chinese mainland is in line with the values of the disciplined services, hoping that the members of the disciplined services and youth uniformed groups can learn from and communicate more with the Olympic athletes.
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"Hopefully you can feel our great respect and love for you," Tang told these athletes, introducing them to the disciplined services. He then took a selfie with the visiting delegation.
With Xinhua inputs
