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Yao holding court as Beijing bids for Winter Olympics

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Retired Chinese and NBA basketball star Yao Ming encourages his NBA All-star team during a charity basketball …

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Standing 2.29 meters (7ft 6in) tall, Yao Ming has never been able to hide in the background. And now, as one of the front men of Beijing's bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, the former NBA star is again the center of attention.

With the International Olympic Committee to vote in Kuala Lumpur on Friday whether to award the games to Beijing or Almaty, Yao has become the public face of China's campaign and in high demand in the Malaysian capital.