Fun and games as Chinese Olympians captivate crowd of 2,000 Hong Kong residents at variety show
- Residents flock to Queen Elizabeth Stadium to catch glimpse of delegation of 29 mainland athletes on the second day of their goodwill visit
- Athletes share experiences and join in lighthearted games, with table tennis legend Ma Long, sprinter Su Bingtian and cyclist Zhong Tianshi among crowd favourites
Mainland Chinese Olympians cast aside their normally cool, focused exteriors to have some fun during a variety show that captivated almost 2,000 Hong Kong fans on Saturday evening.
During the 1½-hour show, hosted by local celebrities Carol Cheng Yu-ling and Wong Cho-lam, the athletes shared their experiences and took part in a number of lighthearted games, winning loud applause and laughter from the spectators.
Table tennis legend Ma Long and teammate Xu Xin, a fellow Olympic gold medallist, were first to appear on stage after the athletes had paraded around the stadium. The pair displayed their skills by playing table tennis with three balls at once.
Asked about the advantages of being leader of the national table tennis team, Ma joked: “So I can play and practice with my teammates, and ‘scold’ them.”
Xu told the audience the Wan Chai stadium held a special meaning for him, as he had won the first gold medal of his adult career there.