Soccer star Mbappe becomes godfather to panda cub

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PARIS, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Paris St-Germain soccer star Kylian Mbappe and Chinese Olympic diving champion Zhang Jiaqi became godparents on Thursday to two baby pandas born at a French zoo earlier this year.

In a ceremony at Beauval Zoo, the three month-old twin cubs Yuandudu and Huanlili nuzzled each other in a specially made mobile pen, at times trying to lift themselves onto their still weak limbs

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Chinese diver Zhang Jiaqi and French soccer star Kylian Mbappe pose during a naming ceremony of newborn twin baby pandas, Huanlili (Fleur de Coton) and Yuandudu (Petite neige), at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, November 18, 2021. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

Mbappe described it as a "big moment" for him.

The cubs' parents, Huan Huan and her partner Yuan Zi, came to France on loan from China in 2012. Their arrival was hailed at the time as a sign of warming diplomatic ties between Paris and Beijing.

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Reporting by Clotaire Achi; Editing by Richard Lough and Gareth Jones

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