At the invitation of the Indian Olympic Association(IOA), Chinese Ambassador H. E. Mr. Zhang Yan attended the Send-off Ceremony for the Indian Olympic Contingent hosted by IOA on July 25, 2008.

In his remarks, Ambassador Zhang said Beijing is ready to welcome friends from all over the world and will strive to hold the best games in the Olympic history. He welcomed the Indian athletes to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games and wished them to win as many medals as they can. Many of them participated in the Olympic Torch Relay in New Delhi in April this year and have already played a part to the success of the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games. China is willing to strengthen its ties with India in the field of sports and provide all the assistance within its ability to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in an effort to promote the bilateral relations as a whole.

Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, president of IOA said the Indian Olympic Team is looking forward to participating in the Beijing Olympic Games and he believes that they will bring home "surprises" for the Indian people. He also wished all the best for the Beijing Olympic Games.