The Shanghai Sports Administration received a second batch of donations for its planned Shanghai Sports Museum yesterday, to mark the 200-day countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games.

Nine people donated 22 artifacts of ancient and modern times to the museum, which is scheduled to open by 2010.

"All the donations are very precious sports relics, and some of them date back to before 1845," said Yu Chen, head of the Shanghai Sports Administration.

"Although some artifacts don't look prominent at first sight, every one of them has long history and cultural value," said Yu, who is also director of the preparatory committee of the Shanghai Sports Museum.

A picture donated by Zhou Minghui, featuring his father Zhou Yuyu (second right) at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

The donations include a photograph album containing pictures of Chinese athletes taking part in the 11th Summer Olympics Games held in Berlin in 1936.

The album was donated by Zhou Minghui, son of the walking race athlete Zhou Yuyu who took part in the Berlin Olympics in 1936.

"My father was one of the four Chinese athletes competing in the athletics of the Berlin Olympic Games," said Zhou Minghui.

"The photograph album has been kept at my home for nearly 72 years, and when my father passed away in 1994, his wish was to donate the treasures.

As his father's wishes, Zhou also donated the cloth of his competing number - 112.

Jiang Shiqi, descendant of Shen Siliang who was leader of the Chinese delegation taking part in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932, also donated a copper purse plated with silver, which was sent to Shen as a present by the organizing committee of the 1936 Olympic Games.

(Shanghai Daily January 22, 2008)