Beckham to star at Beijing closing ceremony

BEIJING: After Chinese wizardry at the opening Ceremony, London, which hosts the 2012 Olympics, will rely on its famous footballer David Beckham to enthrall the spectators at the closing's handover ceremony on August 24.

At the closing Ceremony, London will be handed over the baton, in a manner of speaking, for 2012.

The ceremony will also see former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page performing a duet with pop star Leona Lewis.

Signifying the handover to London, the 33-year-old soccer superstar Beckham is expected to arrive on top of a red double-decker bus -- a trademark London transport - and will then kick a football into the crowd to celebrate.

Hundreds of dancers from Britain will then perform a series of ballet and break-dancing routines as the countdown for 2012 Olympics gets underway.

Beckham will be joined by the urban group ZooNation and performers from the Royal Ballet and CandoCo, a troupe of disabled dancers, at the Closing ceremony, which is also expected to be a breath-taking one. It will include segments from London, which hosts the next Games.

The visitors and the locals, alike, are still talking about the sensational opening Ceremony held on Aug 8. The three-and-half-hour performance, which culminated with China's iconic gymnast Li Ning being carried up 75 feet in the air and then a simulation saw him fly round an imaginary track created by images of the torch relay worldwide.