The world-renowned marble sculpture "The Discus Thrower" will leave the British Museum for exhibition for the first time and come to Hong Kong with other 110 invaluable items during "The Ancient Olympic Games" exhibition in August, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong government said Monday.

The Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Trustees of the British Museum will jointly organize "The Ancient Olympic Games" from August 3 to November 24, at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. The exhibition will take the audience on a journey through space and time to the ancient world of Olympia, where history and legends about the ancient Olympic Games reveal the relationship between the ancient and the modern games.

The British Museum has selected more than 110 invaluable items for the exhibition, including sculpture, pottery, goldware, bronzeware, coins and medals, and has for the first time allowed the masterpiece "The Discus Thrower" to leave its home museum for exhibition.

The exhibition will introduce ancient Olympia, the events held at the ancient games as well as the ceremonies honoring the winners and associated religious activities. It will also trace the development of the modern Olympic Games and review the history of the participation of China in this festival of sport.

Presented with the support of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, this exhibition is a major cultural event specially organized for the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the equestrian events that are to be held in Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2008)