Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the 2008 Olympic Games said following an inspection tour of two major venues for the 2008 Games the National Stadium and the National Swimming Center, “we’re extremely pleased to see how fast the work has been advanced”. He added that he was confident Beijing would achieve its goals. “We’re very sure that, as it has been promised by BOCOG, the works will be finished by the end of 2006, which is an absolute record. I don’t think there’s ever been a Games being ready with their construction so early”. Verbruggen declined to make any suggestions on the venue construction saying “I would be ashamed to make any suggestions because everything is perfect so far”.
The IOC inspectors held a seminar Tuesday offering the 2008 Olympic organizers advice on hosting the Games. Verbruggen and IOC Olympic Games executive director Gilbert Felli gave lectures on the roles and responsibilities of the government hosting the Olympic Games and important operational issues regarding transportation, infrastructure and security. Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee thanks IOC officials for their “candid” advice and sharing with BOCOG the experiences of the previous Games.
Ma Man Kei, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, made a donation worth one million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000 U.S.) for the construction of Beijing’s Olympic sports facilities. The money will be delivered to the Beijing Co-construction Committee of Olympic Sports Facilities by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Compatriots, which is responsible to manage a fund designated for pooling donations to build the State Swimming Center, one of Beijing’s three major projects under construction for the 2008 Games.
Beijing’s municipal government is spending $446 million by 2007 to remove hidden dangers in its subway system, said Beijing’s newly-elected mayor Monday. Beijing now has three subway lines in operation with a distance of 110 km, and three others under construction, which are expected to be completed before the 2008 Summer Games.
And finally, North and South Korea agreed Wednesday to work toward fielding a unified team for the 2008 Games and decided to march together as a “Korean” team at Athens 2004. The decision was made during a conference of the Association of National Olympic Committees being held this week in Athens. And the two Koreas will also have a joint march during the Athens 2004 Games after they agreed in principle to hold the march at inter-Korean ministerial talks in Seoul earlier this month.
