The Fok Ying Tung foundation would award a total of HK$28 million (US$3.59 million) to mainland Olympic medallists visiting Hong Kong, Fok Ying Tung told Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday (Sep. 1st).

Fifty Chinese Olympic gold medallists will storm Hong Kong in a three-day tour next week, meeting the public, sightseeing and showing off their skills against Hong Kong athletes.

A 68-strong delegation led by Chinese Olympic Committee president Yuan Weimin would arrive Monday, the South China Morning Post reported.

All the gold medallists would join the delegation, which would also include 18 officials and coaches.

Fok Ying Tung has promised to award each medallist a one-kilogram gold medal, but decided to change it to cash because the design on the medal might have breached the copy right of the Beijing Olympic Committee.

Women's volleyball players will each get an award as an individual player.

It will be the medallists' first appearance outside the Chinese mainland since the squad swept 32 golds at the Athens Games, the nation's best result since it started competing at the Olympics in 1984.

The athletes will tour the city, take part in a variety show at Hong Kong Stadium, sign autographs for the public, meet university students and stage friendly matches with Hong Kong athletes, including Hong Kong's table tennis silver medallists Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak.

The variety show will feature performances by Andy Hui Chion, Alan Tam Wing-lun, Kelly Chen Wai-lam, Alex Fong Lik-sun and Hacken Lee. The medallists will also be invited to sing with the Hong Kong stars.

The Hong Kong men's volleyball squad will go up against the Olympic women's squad that won gold in Athens. The women's squad beat the men 3-1 in a training session in Guangdong in March.

Apart from enjoying the matches from the stands, members of the public and young athletes will be selected to play with the badminton and table tennis medallists.

Liu Xiang, the first Chinese athlete to win the Olympic men's 110-meter hurdles, and Li Ting and Sun Tiantian, the first Chinese winners in women's tennis doubles, might visit Hong Kong universities.

About 6,000 tickets to the table tennis, volleyball and diving exhibitions will be available from Thursday morning at Urbtix (Urban Ticketing System) at HK$10 (US$1.3) each.

Buyers can purchase a maximum of two tickets for each session. Variety tickets are sold out.
 
Editor: Catherine