IOC Coordination Commission Impressed by Beijing's Progress

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 30, 2002

IOC Coordination Commission Impressed by Beijing's Progress

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International Olympic Committee' s Coordination Commission, which is having its first fact-finding mission in Beijing since its establishment late last year, told reporters on Tuesday that they have been impressed by what Beijing organizing committee has achieved in the preparations for the top sporting event.

The delegation, which arrived in Beijing on Sunday and will leave on Wednesday, had spent most of their time listening to the presentation by the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) on how far they have gone and what they have planned for the Olympic build-up.

"We had two days of, I think, very fruitful meetings (with the BOCOG)," said Hein Verbruggen, chairman of the Coordination Commission at a press conference.

In a two-day meeting which Verbruggen said was "frank, open and candid", the IOC delegation was briefed by the BOCOG on almost all the major aspects of the preparations, including sports, marketing, finance, technology, media relations, environmental protection and venues construction.

"I must say that we have been impressed by the progress that has been made in a very, very short time," he added.

Verbruggen, who was also chairman of the IOC evaluation commission during the bidding process for 2008 Olympics early last year, said that Beijing's progress has been partly due to their seriousness in fulfilling promises.

"The progress that has been made is also made possible by the fact that BOCOG really respect and stay close to what has been committed in the bidding phase," he said.

He said that one of the highlights in Beijing's progress has been the venue construction, which he said is a very major point in the preparations for the Games.

He said that in the past the organizing cities had some problems from time to time in venue construction but Beijing has done very well by giving priority to this respect.

"The consulting process (of the venues construction) is very much underway, and financing plans are very advanced, " he said. " There is a formal commitment that all the venues will be delivered by June 2006."

In accommodation, which has been "very often" a problem with the host city, Verbruggen said that Beijing has had sufficient hotel rooms available, whose number will increase by 30,000 by 2008.

"It (the problem of accommodation) is not at all here...," he said.

As for the marketing, he was also very pleased to see the progress, saying that "the marketing plans of BOCOG are completely in line with what the IOC wish to see".

"In all the subjects that we have discussed here, frankly there is no area, no field, in which we are not happy with the progress, " he concluded.

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