Also on Tuesday, the Chinese men's basketball team, led by their passion-loaded center Yao Ming, who plays for Houston Rockets in the NBA, fought a fierce battle against an apparently more powerful Spain. With a surprising display of courage and teamwork, the Chinese held on to their lead for most of the time, while the Spaniards only tied the game 72-72 with 19.7 seconds to go in the regular time and claimed victory 85-75 after Yao was fouled out in the overtime.

"It was a great game. Our lads fought bravely and were just unlucky," commented Wang Zhengyou, 33, a farmer in Yangdian Village, Mianchi Township of Wenchuan County, after watching the live broadcast of the game.

Wang's five-member family moved in a temporary house they built themselves with the government subsidy at the end of July, just in time to watch the Beijing Olympics.

"I was very frustrated when the tremor destroyed everything in seconds -- the house and all the assets I earned through working in the cities," said Wang. "For a period I lost hope and faith."

"But seeing the great performance of the Chinese athletes at the Olympic Games is really encouraging," he said. "Just like Yao and his team, they are weaker than the Americans and the Spaniards, but their spirit can really boost the morale of people here, who were also unlucky to be stricken by the earthquake."

The young man said that he had asked friends outside to collect employment information for him. "When the Games are over, I will leave the village for big cities, to earn money there and start all over again."

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2008)