黑料社

WASHINGTON, United States鈥擝ritain鈥檚 Prince Harry was hosted at the Oval Office Wednesday, after cheering a basketball game with the first lady, on a lightning visit to the United States to promote the 2016 Invictus Games.

Launched in London in 2014, the games for injured service personnel, founded by the British prince, hold their second edition in Orlando, Florida, in May next year.

The 31-year-old Harry joined Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, the US vice president鈥檚 wife, at the Fort Belvoir military installation in Virginia to meet injured troops鈥攁nd together promote the event.

Sporting a blue suit鈥攁nd beard鈥擧arry sat between the first and second lady through a game of wheelchair basketball, as Michelle Obama pumped up the room, saying: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a game, come on!鈥�

Harry promised next year鈥檚 Games would be 鈥渇our really intense days of sport,鈥� while Obama quipped she must 鈥渁pologize to him in advance for all the gold medals America will win.鈥�

鈥淚 know everyone involved is working to raise the bar so that this event will keep getting bigger, and bigger every single year,鈥� she said.

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden have made supporting returning and injured troops a top priority, an interest they share in common with Harry.

Wheelchairs crashed and slammed into each other as the players, some with missing or prosthetic legs, dribbled and passed up and down the court.

Blake Johnson, a 23-year-old retired Army sergeant who was injured in 2013, is aiming to make the cut for the Invictus Games.

鈥淭o have the opportunity to go to the Invictus Games, for me it鈥檚 a physical healing, but it鈥檚 a mental healing as well,鈥� he told AFP.

鈥業ncredible contributions鈥�

Harry, who was to fly out later Wednesday, headed from Virginia to the White House for an informal first meeting with US President Barack Obama.

鈥淲e are very glad to support the Invictus Games,鈥� said Obama, who praised efforts 鈥渢o make sure that we see not simply the sacrifices (service members) have made, but also the incredible contributions and strength and courage that they continue to display.鈥�

The president also thanked Harry for his service alongside US forces in Afghanistan, calling it 鈥渁 testament to the special relationship, the incredible bond that we share between our two countries.鈥�

Harry told Obama that organizers had 鈥渉uge amounts of fun鈥� planning the games, which he said were inspired by the Warrior Games in the United States.

The 2014 Games brought together 413 wounded troops from 13 countries, doing battle across a range of sports at the Olympic Park in London, scene of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For the 2016 edition in Orlando, organizers are betting on some 500 athletes from 15 nations, who will participate in everything from sitting volleyball to wheelchair rugby.

Jill Biden, who led the US presidential delegation to the 2014 Games, joked that she would still sit beside Harry at the day鈥檚 basketball skirmish, even though in London 鈥渉e was cheering for the other team.鈥�

鈥淏ut I have to admit, we both ended up cheering for all the athletes. They were all so inspiring,鈥� she said.

The prince, fifth in line to the throne, has served twice in Afghanistan: once on the ground in 2007-2008 as a forward air controller calling in air strikes and once flying attack helicopters in 2012-2013.

At a post-scrimmage reception at the British ambassador鈥檚 house, Harry said that he first felt compelled to do something for wounded soldiers during his first tour in 2008, when he returned home to Britain on a plane carrying 鈥渢hree seriously injured soldiers and the coffin of a Danish soldier.鈥�

鈥淔or me, this is where it all started,鈥� he told the crowd.

Harry struck a mostly stoic tone, distancing himself from the reputation he earned in his 20s as a wild child.

But Michelle Obama didn鈥檛 let the crowd forget who was in its midst.

鈥淎ll right ladies. Prince Harry is here. Don鈥檛 look like you guys don鈥檛 notice,鈥� she said.

RELATED STORIES

With 2 years left, Obama getting tough on critics
China, UK sign landmark deals