The bed used by China's 2.26m (7ft 6in) basketball star Yao Ming is one of 200 million Olympics memorabilia items for auction online, Chinese media say.

Xiong Yan, president of the China Beijing Equity Exchange, which is handling the sales, said he hoped it would be the biggest Olympics auction.

China Daily said the sales could fetch up to one billion yuan ($145m).

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China Daily said bidding for some items got under way on Wednesday, with the auctions set to take place after the Olympics, which are being held from 8-24 August, and the Paralympics, from 6-17 September.

Fixtures and fittings

"This is not the first time Olympic organisers are auctioning memorabilia," Mr Xiong said.

"But as far as I know, this will be the biggest."

He added: "We will highlight items [like Yao's bed] for bidders. Obviously the bidding will be hot. People will be looking for memorabilia."

China Daily said there would be "furniture and fixtures, timepieces, light bulbs and tubes, and a variety of sports equipment".

Land used for temporary Games sites will also be available.

Yao Ming's bed will be one of the biggest attractions. He plays for the Houston Rockets in the NBA in the US and is a huge star in China.

The stress fracture to the left foot he suffered in February has been a national concern, but he expects to return to light training with China's national team on Friday.

The cost of the Games themselves is estimated at $2.1bn.

(BBC)

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