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Journalists at weightlifting worlds surprised with Beijing Olympic mascots(Xinhua)Updated: 2006-08-30 19:00 DOHA, November 11 -- Are five mascots of Fuwatoo many for the Beijing Olympic Games? Journalists in the ongoing world weightlifting championships did not think so, but believed the Fuwafit the Olympic spirits exactly. The official mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games were revealed Friday evening, aiming to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends. "Wow, they drew the colors of Five Olympic Rings!" William Dodzi Ezah, sports reporter from Ghana News Agency told Xinhua when he just glimpsed at the Fuwaat the media center of the weightlifting worlds. After Ezah read the English stories released on the Beijing Games' official website, he said: "I like the name of the mascots Friendlies, and I believe it just indicates the main theme of the Olympic Games -- friendship." According to the statement made by the Beijing Organizing Committee on their official website on Friday, at the heart of Friendlies' mission, "they will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit". "I have not expected that Beijing will choose five dolls for Olympic Games, but five are not too many for Olympic mascots," he added. The Five Fuwaalso embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame. Fernando Fernandes of Portugal, who works for Al Jaeera Sports TV station in Doha, thought the number of Fuwawas a very new idea for the Beijing Olympics. "Sydney Olympics had three mascots and Athens Games had two, so why not five for Beijing? Don't fuss about it," he said. "Five is great, but if one of them is designed much bigger than others, the main theme will pop out more easily, thus people can remember the biggest one firstly, then take other four in mind," Fernando suggested. Former coach of U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team Jim Schmitz who works for MILO magazine now in San Francisco, pointed out the Five Fuwagive sports fans more choices. "People can choose their favorite Frendlies when they see them. For me, I like the Panda most," Schmitz said. "I like the swallow because I like the green color. All Frendlies are quite Chinese, and I think when people see them, they will firstly react that they come from China."
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