A fourth issue of the commemorative stamps depicting the Sports of the XXIX Olympiad was unveiled in Beijing on the occasion of the two-year countdown to the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games. These are part of a series jointly launched by the State Post Bureau and the Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).

The set of stamps comprises four pieces representing basketball, fencing, sailing and gymnastics. Thirty-five stamps in total will be issued depicting the sports on the Olympic programme between now and 2008. They are designed using the sport pictograms of the Beijing Games that were also released last week, placed on a primary-coloured background.

These stamps represent the second set of Beijing Olympic Games commemorative stamps since the Olympic Stamp programme was launched last year. The first set, issued in November 2005 and well received by collectors, features the 2008 Olympic Games emblem and mascots.

The State Post Bureau is licenced to issue a number of stamps on the theme of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, including their emblems, mascots, sports, competition venues and torch relay.

A portion of the royalties collected by the bureau will fund the preparations for the Olympic Games.