| Saturday, November 10, 2001, updated at 15:21(GMT+8) |
Officials: IOC Coordinator to Facilitate Beijing Olympics |
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IOC's appointment of Hein Verbruggen as chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the 2008 Beijing Games has won positive comments from sports officials both in China and in other countries.
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IOC's appointment of Hein Verbruggen as chairman of the International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission for the 2008 Beijing Games has won positive comments from sports officials both in China and in other countries.
Michael Knight, former president of the organizing committee of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, said here on Friday that the appointment will be a great boost to ensure Beijing a successful Olympics in 2008.
"Beijing and China will be very much at advantage to have Verbruggen as the chief coordinator," he said after a meeting with Chinese Olympic Committee officials in Guangzhou Friday.
"He is a great friend of China, very well-respected and experienced within the Olympic Movement."
Verbruggen of Dutch chaired the IOC evaluation commission which inspected the five 2008 Olympic candidate cities early this year to assess their technical and organizational capabilities. He is also the president of the International Cycling Union.
IOC President Jacques Rogge, who chaired the coordination commission of the Sydney Games, had also rated Verbruggen as the "ideal person to accompany Beijing in its preparations for the Olympic Games in 2008."
"We were extremely lucky in Sydney to have Rogge, and you will be equally lucky to have Verbruggen," said Knight.
Other candidates for the 2008 Olympic coordinator included IOC Vice President Kevan Gosper of Australia and British IOC member Craig Reedie.
Both the Beijing organizing committee and the IOC Coordination Commission will be set up in December.
Knight also shared his experience with Chinese officials on how to work with the IOC's coordination commission, suggesting Beijing should see them as "friends."
"The IOC coordinators can become a great source of support and partnership," said Knight. "The best way to treat them is draw upon experiences of them, and not to see them as an outside body trying to supervise you but see them as friends."
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