*********************************************************
Astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng and other members of the Delegation of Shenzhou-6 Manned Space Flight Mission shared the experience of training, and the astronauts played table tennis, with Hong Kong athletes at Tseung Kwan O Sports Centre this afternoon (November 29).
The event, "Meet the Athletes", organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, was one of the activities on the itinerary of the delegationˇ¦s visit to Hong Kong.
More than 1,000 athletes, disabled athletes and members of the Young Athletes Training Scheme and District Sports Teams participated in the event.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho; Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Anissa Wong; and President of Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Mr Timothy Fok, were among the party welcoming the delegation.
Through meeting with the astronauts and other members of the delegation, local young athletes gained an in-depth understanding of the training process and the astronauts' road to success.
A video clip on the rigorous training for astronauts was shown before the astronauts had a heart-to-heart conversation with the athletes.
Realising that through regular training with the right attitude was a key to success, the athletes sought the views of the astronauts, who spoke frankly and shared their experiences. They also encouraged the young athletes to continue to strive for their goals.
The astronauts later demonstrated the importance of partnership by participating in a table tennis training session with local athletes Ko Lai-chak, Lin Ling; disabled athletes Lai Wai-ling, Wong Ka-man; and young athletes of the Talent Bring-up Scheme Chiu Chung-hei and Lee Ho-ching.
Flash buttons depicting the astronauts and Shenzhou-6 Space Mission were given as souvenirs to participants of the "Meet the Athletes" event.
For more information on the visit of the delegation to Hong Kong, please browse the webpage at www.gov.hk/info/shenzhou6.
Ends/Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 20:47
NNNN
