Yao Ming courts new role

The short film warning against drunken driving while promoting the use of designated drivers features the couple of Yao Ming and Ye Li. [Photo Provided to China Daily]

Since organizing his first charity game in 2007, Yao has enthusiastically engaged in socially responsible programs, establishing his own Yao Ming Foundation to build hope schools and assist children in underprivileged areas while promoting ideas like returning sports to schools and wildlife rescue.

The giant launched a nationwide charity program, the Yao Ming Foundation Hope Primary Schools Basketball Season, last year and reached 79 hope schools over a two-month stretch, during which college volunteers and visiting NBA stars instructed children on basketball skills and taught them the virtues of teamwork, leadership and camaraderie.

The responsible-drinking campaign was his latest initiative and was inspired by a father's sense of responsibility.

"The movie was shot on Father's Day and I hope we can set ourselves as examples for our descendants," says Yao, who brought his 3-year-old daughter Yao Qinlei to a charity program despite media scrums earlier in Beijing.

"Children start to consciously follow their parents' actions at that age and we hope to give her more positive influences."

Ye, who married Yao in 2007, stresses it's more important to educate their daughter with action than words.

However, whether little Amy (Yao's daughter's English name), who naturally inherits the couple's strong sports gene, will become a basketballer or an artist remains out of her parents' consideration.

"We don't want to make early plans for her and we'll just let her grow her interests in every possible field," Yao says in response to a recent photo, which saw him shooting hoops in front of his daughter.

"We won't push her to do anything at this early age but try to provide her with a more relaxed environment to let her do what she likes and eventually find out what is her strength."

Contact the writer at sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn.