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Twelve elite student athletes from the Chinese University joined a visiting tour organized by the Physical Education Unit of CUHK from 11-15 August to cheer for China at the Beijing Olympic Games. The delegation watched the Games and visited some of the Olympic sports facilities.

"We are really excited about this tour. We felt an immense Olympics atmosphere in Beijing the moment we stepped out of the Beijing Capital International Airport. On our way to downtown, we were surrounded by a sea of Olympic flags," said Law Suk-man, 2nd runner-up in the 2006 Asian Junior Cadet Fencing Championship.

Lee Ka-ming, a Hong Kong volleyball representative in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, remarked, "As Chinese athletes, we find it particularly meaningful to be able to witness the Olympic Games on our motherland. We watched the beach volleyball and hockey events, and the emotion of the audience was overwhelming. Whenever the Chinese teams entered the stadium, the audience would applaud loud and long, and all of us would join the crowd in chanting 'Go, China!'".

The five-day tour was an invaluable experience for the student athletes. After years of anticipation, China finally became host of the Olympic Games. It was indeed a chance of a lifetime to be part of the Games. They were equally impressed by the support and devotion expressed by our mainland compatriots for the Games – be it in the stadiums, on the streets, or in front of huge television screens. In addition, the CUHK athletes were profoundly inspired by the excellent performance of the Chinese contestants. Chiu Tsz-wang, a Hong Kong representative of the 2008 1st Asian University Handball Championship, said, "We look up to them as models. After witnessing their achievements, we will definitely work harder on our practices, striving to excel in our own specialties. We hope to achieve better results in the future and win honour for the University."

The visit is generously sponsored by Mr. Yeung Ming-biu, an outstanding entrepreneur. The Physical Education Unit of the Faculty of Education aims at developing students' basic skills in sports through offering required courses, encouraging students' active participation in sports, and enhancing their spirit of cooperation. The Unit will continue to organize different sports activities as to enhance students' physical and mental development.