Special report:   2008 Olympic Games

China's two famous athletes Yao Ming (L) and Liu Xiang attend a one-year countdown ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Aug. 8, 2007. The 2008 Olympic Games will kick of in Beijing on Aug. 8 next year.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, August 8 (Xinhua) -- China's sport heroes Yao Ming and Liu Xiang both expressed their desires of becoming the Olympic Games Main Flame lighter at the opening ceremony while appearing here at one of the one-year Olympic countdown events on Wednesday.

    "It's an honor that is appealed from my heart," said Yao, the newly-wed basketball star who attended Tuesday midnight a Coca Cola Beijing Olympic Games counting down activity.

    "I've tried to be modest, but I don't want to lose the chance of lighting the flame for being too unobtrusive," added the 2.26-meter NBA center.

    Also considered as one of the favorites to be the last runner of Beijing Olympics torch relay who will light the main flame, Athens 110m hurdles gold medalist Liu Xiang seemed less optimistic.

    "God will tell who comes out the one to light the flame," said the sprinter who became a national hero by landing the first ever Olympic track and field gold medal for Chinese men in 2004.

    "To light the main flame or to bear the Chinese national flag, I hardly dare to imagine both of those. Any other athletes and players could become the flame lighter, rather than me and Yao."

    "But I think, for a sportsman, the most important thing is to show your spirit and sportsmanship in the competitive field," added Liu.

    A month ago at a similar event, Yao had shown his keenness on repeating his feat of being the flag bearer of China at the opening ceremony, but descended himself on lighting the flame.

    "It has been a tradition of the Chinese delegation since 1984 to have a male basketball player to bear the flag," said Yao on July 3 when attending a Coca Cola activity of recommending and choosing 2008 Beijing Olympics torch relay runners.

    "I don't want to see the end of this tradition when I am still playing," he said.

    Being thrown at on his choice between bearing the flag and lighting the flame, Yao said on Wednesday that it's a dilemma.

    "The flag bearer represent China, and the flame lighter carries more...It's really a hard choice," he said.

    "I'm not sure if I've been established on carrying out the Olympic spirit, and I still have a long way to go to catch up with those lucky birds who had the honor to light the flame, but that doesn't mean I'll give up vowing for it," he added.

    Yao, the undisputed most famous and influential Chinese sportsman before the last Olympic Games, was an unanimous candidate for the flag bearer three years ago. But things changed after Liu Xiang won the men's 110m hurdles in Athens.

China's two famous athletes Yao Ming (L) and Liu Xiang shake hands during a one-year countdown ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Aug. 8, 2007. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>