The Beijing Olympics are set to begin at 8 p.m. on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. Crazy coincidence? Not really.

The number eight carries special significance for the Chinese and is highly favoured for its connotations of good luck, fortune and longevity. In Chinese, eight is pronounced 'ba', which sounds a lot like 'fa', which literally means prosperity. It is the same even in several of the regional dialects, like Cantonese, with 'baat' and 'faat'.

When two symbols of the number eight are placed next to each other, they are believed to represent double happiness. This is a popular decorative symbol across China and it is not uncommon for newly married Chinese couples to post this symbol on the doors of their homes.

The telephone number 8888-8888 was once sold for more than US$270,000 in Chengdu because it was believed to be lucky. A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his licence plate reading A88888 for 1.12 million yuan. So, will the lucky number eight prove providential for our Jamaican athletes?