The local organizing committee for the Beijing 2008 equestrian events, which will be staged in Hong Kong, was formally set up Wednesday.
The committee is a decision-making body for the organization of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events.
Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said at a news conference in Hong Kong that he was pleased with the progress made at the meeting.
“The task of delivering the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events begins today. It will be a major job, building quality venues and providing the support infrastructure in the right way at the right time. But the continuous efforts and support from different parties and major stakeholders will ensure that we meet our targets”, said Rafael Hui, Chief Secretary for Administration, who will be the president of the organizing committee.
He added that the meeting had confirmed the terms of reference of the equestrian committee and agreed to establish an executive body. An open exercise will soon be conducted to recruit the chief executive officer of the company.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) members have visited Hong Kong several times during the past four months. IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen gave Hong Kong a thumbs-up for its preparations.
He said, “we were very impressed by the proposed venues for the equestrian competitions in Hong Kong and the preparatory work there”.
