China's newly wed basketball sensation, Yao Ming, said babies would take a back-seat to Olympic preparations as the host country began the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Games.

The 7ft 6in (2.26 meter) Houston Rockets centre, who wed his 6ft 2in basketballer girlfriend Ye Li at a private ceremony in Shanghai on Monday, was briefly caught off guard when China's Olympic hurdling champion, Liu Xiang, asked about his family plans on Tuesday.

"Having children...there's no plan at present. I will be concentrating on preparing for the NBA season and next year's Olympics," Yao said in comments published on Chinanews.com on Wednesday.

"To participate in the Olympics in your home country, it's an opportunity I will really cherish," Yao said.

Yao also revealed that his wedding ceremony, at which dozens of security guards kept a massive media throng at bay outside a Shanghai hotel, was deliberately timed.

"Getting married on August 6 was to use the focus of the Olympics to divert attention away from my wedding," he said, keeping tight-lipped about honeymoon plans.

On Wednesday, China marked the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics which will start 8.08 p.m. local time on the eighth day of the eighth month. Eight, unsurprisingly, is a lucky number in China.
译文：

在中国迎来2008年北京奥运会倒计时一周年之际，刚步入婚姻殿堂的篮球巨星姚明表示，备战奥运第一，生孩子暂不考虑。

本周一，这位身高2米26的NBA火箭队中锋与他身高1米90的女友、女篮队员叶莉在上海举行了一个家庭式婚礼。周二，我国跨栏奥运冠军刘翔问起了姚明的“婚后计划”，把他弄了个措手不及。

据中国新闻网周三报道，姚明说：“要孩子……目前还没这个打算。我要集中精力备战NBA新赛季和明年的奥运会。”

姚明说：“有机会在自己的祖国参加奥运会，我会非常珍惜。”

姚明在上海举行婚礼当天，一大群媒体记者被保安挡在了酒店门外。据姚明透露，他的婚礼选在那天举行是有意的。

“选在今年8月6日结婚，是想借奥运的光，分散各界对我结婚的注意力。”姚明没有透露他们的蜜月计划。

昨天，中国举行了2008年北京奥运会倒计时一周年的庆祝活动。北京奥运会将于北京时间2008年8月8日晚8时零8分开幕。无疑，“8”在中国是个幸运数字。