BEIJING - It may be a little long for most people, but the bed Chinese basketball star Yao Ming will use at the Beijing Olympics is going on sale.
The official China Daily newspaper said Thursday that Yao's 7 foot, 6 inch (2.3-meter) bed from the Olympic Village will be just one of the items in an auction of Olympic memorabilia. Online bidding started Wednesday, the newspaper said. About 200 items of furniture such as coffee tables and closets from the village have already been listed, and the auction will include sports equipment, electrical fittings, and even pieces of land.
"This is not the first time Olympic organizers are auctioning memorabilia," Xiong Yan, president of the China Beijing Equity Exchange, who Olympic organizers have authorized to sell the items, was quoted as saying. "But as far as I know, this will be the biggest."
Auctions will take place after the Olympics and Paralympics, the newspaper said. The Olympics are Aug. 8-24 and the Paralympic Games are Sept. 6-17.
Houston Rockets center Yao is one of the most popular athletes in China. He had surgery on his left foot after suffering a stress fracture on Feb. 27, threatening his star turn as part of China's national basketball team at the Olympics.
A top official of China's national basketball team said last week no decision had been made whether Yao will play in an Olympic warm-up tournament next month.
