Mainland Olympians' visit to boost HK people's love for sports: official

HONG KONG -- The three-day visit of a delegation of Chinese mainland Olympians is expected to boost Hong Kong people's love for sports, said a Chinese official on Saturday.

The comments were made by Liu Peng, minister of the General Administration of Sport of China, at a press conference where the athletes and their coaches shared with the audience their spirit of Chinese sports which took them to success at the Rio Olympic Games.

Liu said the praise from Hong Kong people towards the delegation would serve as an encouragement as the athletes continue to strive towards "faster, higher and stronger" goals.

The athletes' endeavors will in turn become a role model for the Hong Kong people, encouraging them to have more physical exercise and pursue higher qualities of life, he said.

The official said the Chinese athletes and coaches have demonstrated the Olympic spirit and the spirit of Chinese sports at the Rio Olympics, as they deepened exchanges and friendship with athletes from all over the world.

"Apart from excellent sporting skills and high moral standards, the Chinese Olympic delegation has shown the world our positive energy and the spirit of the Chinese youth," he added.

A good example of the spirit of Chinese sports is the Chinese women's volleyball team, which has won the gold medal in the Rio Olympics, said Liu.

Head coach of the team, Lang Ping, said Chinese women's volleyball team has undergone many reforms and witnessed remarkable progress technically since the 1980s, but the "women's volleyball spirit" is never outdated.

"Every player is fighting for the team's honor, and the spirit of 'never giving up' is the foundation of the 'women's volleyball spirit'," she said.

Chinese Olympic swimmer Fu Yuanhui also said that the spirit of sport is to never give up. As a first-time visitor, Fu said she has wanted to come to Hong Kong for a long time because it has delicious food and many fun stuff.

"People from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland are bonded by flesh and blood," she said.

A 64-member delegation including 42 Rio Olympic gold medalists and three elite athletes from the Chinese mainland arrived in Hong Kong earlier Saturday for a three-day visit.

They will showcase their sporting skills, join music performance and communicate with Hong Kong residents during the visit.