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Superstar David Beckham set to play in HK in August

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His new team, Real Madrid, also has games in Beijing and Tokyo as part of an Asian tour

A star-studded Real Madrid outfit, including England football hero David Beckham, will play in Hong Kong on August 8.

However, the visit of the Spanish giants, confirmed on the club's website yesterday, is still shrouded in mystery, with local organisers refusing to confirm the visit as they are believed to be haggling over how the $20 million-plus cost will be shared.

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England captain and former Manchester United star Beckham, the world's most high-profile player, is expected to play one of his first games for his new club at the Hong Kong Stadium when Real Madrid face either China's national team or the Hong Kong squad as part of the government's $1 billion post-Sars relaunch campaign.

The club yesterday posted an announcement in Spanish on its website - www.realmadrid.com - confirming that Hong Kong would be included in the team's pre-season Asian tour and that they would play China.
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It will be the first time Brazil's World Cup stars Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo of Portugal and Spanish striker Raul have played in Hong Kong.

'It is official. The club has posted the news on its website and we are all thrilled that it is happening. We are looking forward to the visit,' said Guillermo Diaz, president of the Real fan club in Hong Kong.

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