Beijing 2008 organizers say they will simplify and downscale the Olympic torch relay following China’s massive earthquake.
Wednesday’s relay will begin with a minute of silence in the southeastern city of Ruijin, reports the Associated Press.
On Monday organizers said there would be no changes in the relay, but the Associated Press reports the overwhelming sentiment on Chinese-language websites and blogs favours some kind of moratorium, either now or next month when the torch enters Sichuan province where more than 12,000 people are reported to have died.
Organizers say the Games will be safe for the more than 500,000 foreign visitors expected to attend. Zhang Jian, director of the organizing committee’s project management office said, “what I want to say to foreign visitors is that the Olympic Games are safe, Beijing is safe and China is safe”.
Spokesmen for the sponsors of the torch relay, Christina Lau of Coca Cola, William Moss of Samsung and Bob Page of Lenovo, said their companies would go along with any changes offered by the organizers. Page said, “the route is not determined by Lenovo. We will support any decision on this made by the Beijing organizing committee”.
Following its arrival in Sichuan June 15 the torch is scheduled to make seven stops.
Page said his company was donating $1.4 million to earthquake relief. Lau reportedly said Coca-Cola was also donating money to the relief effort.
Meanwhile the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a media release Tuesday that said it was donating $1 million in financial support for relief and recovery efforts in the affected regions.
The donation will be channelled through Beijing 2008 who will distribute support to the appropriate relief organizations.
IOC President Jacques Rogge said, “I feel deeply for those affected and join in solidarity with the people of China. This appears to be a major disaster the scale of which is only just becoming apparent. We send our deepest felt condolences to the victims and their families”.
