Girl to star in closing ceremony

A 10-year-old girl is to star alongside David Beckham at the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Tayyiba Dudhwala won a Blue Peter competition to take part in the handover ceremony on Sunday when London will receive the Olympic flag.

Tayyiba, from Forest Gate, east London, will emerge from the top of a double-decker bus with the footballer.

The competition asked entrants to write in to explain why they were excited by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tayyiba's cousin, Zakir Dudhwala, said she returned home from school one day and the Blue Peter crew were waiting to tell her the news.

"They gave her such a shock," he said.

'Football crazy'

"She had been hoping she would win but I don't think she could believe it when she actually did.

"She is definitely excited about it. She was really looking forward to going and it was quite emotional for her," he said.

Mr Dudhwala explained what Tayyiba came up with to win the competition.

"She wrote that different people from all over the world come together at the Olympics and she thought that was special."

Sukwinder Sanghera, deputy head teacher of her school, Elmhurst Primary, described Tayyiba as "football crazy" and said she would be thrilled to meet the former Manchester United and Real Madrid footballer.

"We were really proud of her - it's amazing what she has achieved," she said.

"She is an incredibly bright pupil. The school made a really big deal of her achievement.

"She will be representing the British people in Beijing."

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