Full transcript of the speech by Li Yuyi, Chief of Shanghai Sports Bureau at Yao Ming’s news conference.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Yao Ming just announced his retirement after serious consideration. On behalf of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Yao Ming for his contribution to Shanghai sports development and the city.

I wish Yao Ming all the best in his new life.

Yao Ming is an outstanding basketball player. During his 16 years’ sports career, he won the  Asian Basketball Championship, participated in the Olympics three times, and led China’s national basketball team to enter the top eight, making the best score for China. In 2002, he started to play in the NBA and entered the lineup of the NBA All-stars eight times. He has taken the hearts of numerous fans all around the world for his remarkable basketball skills and unique personality, attracting numerous youths to participate in the sports and enjoy the happiness of playing basketball.

At the same time, Yao Ming as the Image Ambassador for Shanghai City and Shanghai Expo has demonstrated Shanghai’s city spirits - tolerance, commitment to excellence, open and wise, generous and modest, open-minded, and humorous.  He made significant contribution to the development of basketball, Shanghai city, and exchanges with foreign countries. He is an outstanding leader of advancing the Olympic spirit and Shanghai’s spirit, he is also a role-model for promoting basketball in the world, he is a goodwill envoy to promote the deep friendship between Chinese people and people all over the world, an outstanding representative of the current Chinese youth to realizing their dreams, full of passion. We people from Yao Ming’s hometown feel proud of him.