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Eyeing 2008 Olympics, Beijing Promise Best Universiad
To show the world Beijing's ability of putting on a wonderful games in 2008, Beijing gets down-to-earth in their preparation for a "best ever" World University Games this summer.
Liu Jinmin, vice president of the Universiad organizing committee, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the Games, the world's first major event in the new century, will be "grand, inspiring, spectacular and successful".
"What we offer will be the top-flight athlete village, first-class opening and closing ceremonies, well-planned competition and the most considerate services," said Liu, who is also the vice executive president of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bidding Committee.
Although the Universiad is the first world games the city host,Beijing has benefited from the legacy of successfully staging the 1990 Asian Games. The preparatory work, ranging from collecting torch flame to enrolling volunteers, have all gone as planned.
Liu said that by the end of May all the stadiums and gyms, including 29 for competition and 22 for training, will have been ready for the August 22-September 1 Universiad.
In response to Beijing's Olympic bid for "Green, Scientific and Human-oriented Games", the organizers has applied enviornment-friendly technology,highlighted by equipment powered by solar energy, to major Universiad venues like Olympic Sports Complex and Worker's Stadium,where the opening and closing ceremonies will be held respectively.
The Universiad is expected to lay a solid foundation for Beijing's Olympic bid. Paris, Toronto, Osaka and Istanbul are also in the running for the top sporting gala.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will vote for the host in July in Moscow. Late last month the IOC evaluation commission has completed their inspection tour of Beijing.
Though the IOC inspector did not give a score for Beijing, but the International University Sports Federation (FISU) hasn't hesitated to show their confidence of a wonderful games in Beijing.
"It will be a huge success," George E. Killian, FISU president,said at Zakopane when the Winter Universiad was held here early in February.
"Huge, because everybody in the world wants to go to China. It's the one country left in the world that holds some kind of attraction to everybody.
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