"We are grateful for China's free aid to Albania, and this is part of our cooperation in sports field," Neritan Alibali, vice minister of the Albanian Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, said at the hand-over ceremony in a Tirana stadium.

He said China has given Albania a hand in the country's preparation for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In June this year, China invited twenty Albanian athletes -- boxers and track and field athletes -- to China to receive training, and four Albanian sports physicians will go to China in August to study, Alibali said.

The donation includes basketballs, footballs and volleyballs, valued at 10,000 euros (13,800 U.S. dollars).

Tian Chang-chun, Chinese ambassador to Albania, said he hoped these sports equipment will have an active role in the development of Albanian sports.

This is the second donation China has made in Albania in July. On July 2, China donated in Albania about 1,400 computer units, valued at one million euros (1.38 million dollars).