The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) hosted a farewell ceremony for its greatest ever player, Yao Ming, in Beijing which comes on the heels of the announcement of his retirement.

Yao received China's Sports Honorary Medal and a Chinese Olympics Gold Medal at the ceremony, which is unprecedented in the country's sports history.

"I am very happy to have my national team retirement ceremony here. I am grateful that I can receive so many honours," Yao said. "I think all these honours are not only for myself, but also for all our Chinese basketball players, including the older generation, such as coach Jiang who coached me in my first Olympics in Sydney and all our young players that are sitting here."

Selected into the national squad at age of 17, Yao played in three Olympic Games for China.

Yao had played for the Chinese national team for six years before joining the Houston Rockets.

(CRIENGLISH.com July 26, 2011)