Liu Xiang leads Chinese contingent at East Asian Games

Athens Olympic champion Liu Xiang will lead a star-studded Chinese squad in the 5th East Asian Games in Hong Kong, an official said on Tuesday.

"China will send a 589-member delegation to enter all 235 events of 22 sports at the East Asian Games," Wu Qi, deputy head of the Chinese delegation, told a press briefing.

"Of the 405 athletes, 19 are Olympic gold medalists," he added.

Other big names include "Diving Queen" Guo Jingjing, Lin Dan (badminton) and Wang Hao (table tennis).

Around 2,300 athletes from nine countries and regions will be competing in the Dec. 5-13 Games, the largest international multi-sport event ever held in Hong Kong.

Held every four years, the East Asian Games is a major sport event in Asia. The first East Asian Games was held in Shanghai in 1993, followed by Busan in 1997, Osaka in 2001 and Macao in 2005.

Source: Xinhua