Yao Ming walks past the media on his way to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Photo : Reuters)
Former NBA superstar Yao Ming was appointed as Beijing's promotion ambassador among six others on Tuesday for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
"It's an honor to play a part in Beijing's bidding, and I hope we can win the bid eventually," said Yao.
The eight-time NBA All-Star center added that Beijing is the ideal place for the Games because it already has the experience and infrastructure left over from the 2008 Summer Olympics.
"Beijing 2022 would bring it all to a new level and make more people understand sport and be involved. It is very important, as sport is more than just a physical competition; it is a way to forge character and discipline."
Yao is joined by fellow ambassadors Paralympics gold medallist Hou Bin, figure skating champions Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, Olympic speed skating champion Zhang Hong, and Olympic freestyle skiing silver medalist Li Nina, according to a report from Xinhua News Agency.
"I'm glad to see more and more people in China start to play winter sports," said Shen Xue, who bagged China's first Olympic gold in figure skating in 2010 with Zhao Hongbo.
Beijing submitted its official bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in December the previous year.
An evaluation team from the IOC is set to arrive in China in March before it elects the host city of the 2022 Winter Games from either the Chinese capital or Almaty, Kazakhstan, on July 31 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
If successful, Beijing will co-host the Winter Olympics with Zhangjiakou, a city in Hebei Province 200 kilometers west of the capital.
