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Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda invited 113 people, including athletes who finished in the top eight at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, to the Prime Minister's Office and held a ceremony to present them with commemorative gifts.
After the presentation of gifts to the top eight finishers and the representatives of the athletes from each sporting discipline, Prime Minister Fukuda said in his address, "The achievements of each and every one of you are outstanding. My heartfelt respect goes to each of you for your hard work. The people of Japan were paying great attention to the Beijing Olympics, such that many of them must have found themselves becoming absorbed in the games shown on TV, looking forward to your great performances. Your achievements exactly met the people's expectations. All of you have produced truly remarkable results. Please continue to do your utmost."
In response, Mr. Tomiaki Fukuda, head of the Japanese National Team, concluded the ceremony by saying, "The honor we received is precisely the fruition of the people's warm encouragement and support to the entire Japanese National Team. Each member of the Japanese National Team, feeling pride at being so honored, is determined to commit to further discipline and to continue to do all that is possible for the enhancement of Japan's international cooperation and the promotion of sports."
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