Yao Ming to invite AIDS orphans to 2008 Beijing Olympics
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-07-18 15:24

NBA star Yao Ming listened to Chinese children orphaned by AIDS telling their stories here on Sunday. Apparently moved, the Houston Rockets center said he wished to invite the children to watch the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Chinese basketball star and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (L) wipes tears for a Chinese AIDS orphan Zhang Yun during an HIV/AIDS awareness event at the Tsinghua University in Beijing July 17, 2005. Yao returned to China this week to take part in the NBA 'Basketball without Borders' outreach event. [Reuters]

Chinese basketball star and Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (C) walks with AIDS orphans Ding Kaipeng (L) and Zhang Yun during an HIV/AIDS awareness event at the Tsinghua University in Beijing July 17, 2005. Yao returned to China this week to take part in the NBA outreach event. [Reuters]

"I saw a boy wearing clothes printed with the Beijing Olympic Games logo. I hope to invite them to watch the event in 2008," Yao said when visiting a group of 30 children from central China's Anhui Province.

Yao wiped off Xiao Ding's tears when the 14-year-old child cried that nobody dared to play with him when his parents were found to be HIV-infected for illegal blood sales.

Cared by the Fuyang City's poor AIDS children assistance association, most of the 30 children are orphaned by AIDS and some of them are even infected with the killer disease.

Yao's presence apparently brought great joy to these poor children. "I'm very happy," repeated Xiao Yun. "I saw him on TV, but I have never thought I could really see him. I can't remember what he told me, but I'm just so happy. He's so tall."

The 2.29-meter (7 feet 6 inches) center, crouching to listen to the kids, said he felt the children are "great" as "they are full of hope for life and long for new life even under such circumstances".

He was greeted with many small presents from the kids, most small paper-folded creatures, seen as a sign by Yao to show the kids' fearless life attitude.

"So we have to help them, spiritually or materially," the basketball player pledged.

Yao began to join the world anti-AIDS campaign since last year,when he and former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson featured ads to call on people to shed off discrimination against HIV-AIDS infected and attend to the AIDS issue.

He returned to China last week to take part in a NBA Basketball Without Borders event and to join the national team for the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup, that begins on July 26 in Beijing.

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