TIRANA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Albanian President Bamir Topi handed over the national flag on Wednesday to the country's Olympic team who are going to take part in the 2008 Beijing Games.

    "With this flag, you carry upon your shoulder the responsibility to represent your country at the 29th (Beijing) Olympic Summer Games," Topi said at the send-off ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

    Topi said he believed the Albanian Olympic team will do its best to "to repay your country and your people", demonstrating to the world the presence of a small nation with a great competing spirit.

    "Medals have special values, but what is more important than a few medals is participation. It is the competing spirit and the pride in representing Albania that carry more weight," topi said.

    Topi hopes that the team will be Albania's ambassadors of peace and messengers of freedom, acting as a bridge to connect Albania with all the other countries in the world.

    Albania is to send 27 people to the Beijing Olympic Summer Games, the biggest ever delegation in Albania's Olympic history.

    Among the 27 people, 11 are athletes, 9 coaches, and administrative officials for the rest. They will compete in six events: swimming, track and field, weightlifting, wrestling, shooting and judo.

    Albania first took part in the Olympic Games in 1972 in Munich, in Germany. After that it backed out. And it rejoined the Olympic family at Barcelona Games in Spain in 1992.