With five years away to the Beijing Olympic Games, International
Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge has showered lavish
praise on the national capital's Games buildup.
Rogge arrived in Beijing
yesterday ahead of today's launch of the marketing plan for the
event. He said the preparation is proceeding "extremely well"
despite the impact of the potentially fatal SARS virus that hit the
city earlier this year.
"The preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games is really
exceptional and I am not saying that just for your delight," he
told Beijing Olympic organizers.
Beijing has delivered its preparations ahead of schedule since
winning the right to host the Games two years ago, prompting Rogge
to joke: "There is one question -- I wonder what the Beijing
organizing committee will do during 2007 (as) all of the works will
be done (before then)."
Rogge said not only the Chinese people but the whole world is
waiting anxiously for the event to start.
"To host a successful Olympic Games is a wish of the whole IOC
and more than 200 countries in the world," he said.
This is the third time the Belgian has been in China after
replacing Juan Antonio Samaranch in the IOC's top job.
Broadcasting deal
Late yesterday, Rogge headed a group of IOC experts during the
signing of an agreement with local organizers to set up the Beijing
Olympic Broadcasting Co Ltd, the host broadcaster for the 2008
event.
The company, responsible for providing the television and radio
broadcasting services, is a major means to ensure China's first
ever Olympics will be well-covered for a global audience.
It is not only accountable for the international broadcasting
signals, but for the construction and operation of the
International Broadcasting Center, and facilities and equipment at
other venues.
"The signature of the agreement marks a new era for the
broadcasting of the Olympic Games," said Hein Verbruggen, chairman
of the Coordination Commission of the Beijing 2008 Olympic
Games.
The 2000 Sydney Olympics reached 3.7 billion people throughout
the world, 700 million more than the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which
helped to generate a US$1.3 billion profit.
(China Daily September 1, 2003)