NICOSIA, July 11 (Xinhua) -- A 17-year-old Cypriot sailor has gained a hard-won ticket to represent Cyprus in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a local nautical club said on Wednesday.

Pavlos Kontides, finished 62nd at the world sailing championships which took place in Cascais, Portugal.

"By winning this privileged position Kontides managed to place Cyprus at the 29th place and at the same time to qualify for the Olympics," the Limassol Nautical Club announced in a press release.

Kontides earned his Mediterranean island state the last ticket for men's one person dinghy - laser, according to the website of the International Sailing Federation.

The 2008 Olympic sailing competition will take place in Qingdao from the 9-21 August. Gold medals will be decided in eleven Olympic sailing events, featuring a total of 400 sailors.