The East Asian Games organizing authority yesterday announced the lists of participating athletes. Among the participating countries/regions, China is fielding the strongest athletes, with Olympics gold medalist 110 metre hurdle king Liu Xiang, diving queen Guo Jingjing and her team mate Wu Minxia being the biggest names.

The other top athletes who will come to Hong Kong include Lin Dan, champion of men's single event in the world championship badminton competition, and Wang Hao, who is the world's number one player of the men's table tennis competition.

As for swimming, Liu Zige, a gold medal winner in the Beijing Olympics, will also compete in the East Asian Games.

For Hong Kong as the home team, the hopes of winning medals are road cyclist Wong Kam-po, BMX cyclists Alex John Hunter and Stephen Wong, squash player Rebecca Chiu Wing-yin, table tennis pair Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak, as well as windsurfers Chan King-yin and Ho Chi-ho.

(HK Edition 11/06/2009 page4)