Source: IOC Report 'Carefully' Weighted towards BeijingBeijing is more than the frontrunner in the battle to get the 2008 Olympics, according to Asia's top sports official.Sheikh Ahmad al Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), said the Chinese capital is now "first among equals" following the release of evaluation reports of the candidates this week by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The comments from one of the most powerful men in the Olympic movement, a key member of the IOC, were another strong signal that Beijing is considered the best venue. He said the IOC report on the five bidding cities was "carefully but definitely weighted in favour of Beijing." Beijing, Paris and Toronto are now considered the three leaders ahead of the July vote for the 2008 Games. Osaka in Japan and Istanbul are the other candidates. "You have to know how to read the code of what is being written but those who know + those who vote + will understand the IOC is saying Beijing is the best city," the Sheikh told AFP from the OCA general assembly in Aomori, Japan. "We wish all of the bidding cities the best of luck but I have to say this is excellent news for Beijing and excellent news for Asian sport because one of our two candidates has comfortably passed the technical tests," said Sheikh Ahmad. "Beijing is now positioned within the Olympic movement as first among equals," said Sheikh Ahmad. The IOC report said Beijing, Paris and Toronto were all excellent candidates capable of staging a great Olympics. Osaka and Istanbul, the two other candidate cities, were all but dismissed by Hein Verbruggen, president of the evaluation commission. "The commission has rated three cities as excellent with only minor difficulties between them. These three cities are all able to organise an excellent 2008 Olympic Games," said Verbruggen in Lausanne this week. The vote for 2008 will be taken by the IOC session in Moscow on July 13. Source: chinadaily.com.cn |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |