Italy's former national football player Roberto Baggio arrived in Beijing on Wednesday to start a series of promoting events for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

 

 

Italy's former great football player Roberto Baggio arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, August 29, 2007, to commence a series of promotional events for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo: stardaily.com.cn)

 

According to Beijing Evening News, the 40-year-old former soccer prodigy, who previously visited Shanghai in 1995, is on a six day tour to Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou to promote the Beijing Olympics mascot and souvenir badge.

 

More than 400 fans waited outside their football idol's hotel to catch a glimpse of him. One excited fan expressed that it was the happiest experience of his life to see Baggio in the flesh.

 

After his China trip, the famous footballer will work as a UN Goodwill Ambassador for its Food and Agriculture Organization, visiting Laos from the 3-5 of September, to promote the reduction of famine and malnutrition there.

 

(CRI August 30, 2007)