Chinese sports stars pledge quake relief

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese sports stars have opened their wallets to help earthquake victims in their country with Houston Rockets star Yao Ming pledging 2 million yuan ($286,100).

"I plan to do whatever I can," Yao said in a joint statement with Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, who pledged to help in any way possible. "I hope that many others around the world will join us."

High hurdles world record holder Liu Xiang donated 500,000 yuan. A further 500 athletes and officials involved with the August Games made their own donations, including 5 million yuan from China's General Administration of Sports itself.

"I would like to dedicate my all achievement at the Olympics to the people hurt in the earthquake," said Liu, one of China's best hopes of winning a gold at the August 8-24 Games.

Chengdu Blades, the Chinese Super League (CSL) soccer club from the quake-stricken Sichuan capital, sent their reserves to donate blood and the team will wear black arm bands at matches.

The league announced it would give all revenue from the eighth round of matches, delayed until this weekend, as charity relief.

China's sports lottery organizations made a contribution of near 100 million yuan, including HK$20 million ($2.6 million) from the Hong Kong Equestrian Committee.

Olympics organizers arranged one minute's silence at the start of each day of the Olympic torch relay across the country and scaled down celebrations.

Besides $1 million from International Olympic Committee and 220 million yuan from Olympic sponsors, the charity donation boxes along the flame path have collected over 70 million yuan in the last three days in eastern Jiangxi province.

China says it expects the death toll from Monday's quake to exceed 50,000.

(Take a look at the Countdown to Beijing blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)

(Reporting by Liu Zhen; Editing by Nick Macfie)