They join the ambassadors announced last month for bridge, chess and draughts for the Games due to take place at Beijing International Convention Centre in the shadow of the Bird's Nest, the main venue for the 2008 Olympics, between December 12 and 18.

Ming is known in the Philippines as the "King of Xiangqi", a sport sometimes called Chinese chess and which is hugely popular in Asia, after winning the National Championships 14 times from 1995 to 2010. 

Tang Dan, a Xiangqi Grand Master who has won the World Championships twice, is the Chinese ambassador for the sport. 

Kovaleva started playing Go, a game that can trace its origins back 2,500 years to Ancient China, is one of Russia's top players.  

She will be joined by 16-year-old Yu Zhiying, who was recently part of the Chinese women's team crowned champion of the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Incheon.

Along with the other ambassdors they will take part in a social and cultural programme involving Beijing schools and universities where students will be given the opportunity to interact with the world's top Mind Sports players and learn from them.

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