Interview: IOC official looks forward to spectacular opening ceremony in Beijing

SUVA, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board member Robin Mitchell said on Friday that China has prepared well for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and he is looking forward to another spectacular opening ceremony on Feb. 4.

"China has prepared well for the Games and I am looking forward to another spectacular Opening Ceremony on Feb. 4 to match or surpass the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games," Mitchell said.

The Beijing Olympic Winter Games will be the first comprehensive world sports event to be held on schedule since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mitchell, also president of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) and acting president of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), appreciates the preparations China has made over the years.

"Based on the reports that are provided regularly to the IOC by the IOC Coordination Commission for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the preparations for the Games have progressed and the final report received in December was full of praise for excellent venues prepared for the athletes training and competition," Mitchell said.

"Prior to the opening of the Games Village, reports received that the arrival process is going quite smoothly as long as all of the procedures outlined in the Beijing Playbook have been followed. The Games Village opened on Thursday and athletes and officials will have started arriving in Beijing already," he said, adding that "with the arrival of participating athletes, officials and games support personnel from around the world, the next few days will test the systems that have been prepared by the host."

Mitchell, also former president of Fiji Association of National Olympic Committees, spoke highly of China for achieving the purpose of engaging 300 million Chinese people in ice and snow sports.

"I understand that this ambition has been achieved. Excellent facilities are now in place for international and domestic training and competition and the number of Chinese athletes that have qualified to take part in the Games is a reflection of this," he said.

Mitchell fully agreed with the idea of all countries and regions in the world standing on the same ship for a shared and better future.

"Fully agree. The record numbers of people around the world engaged and watching 2020 Olympic Games during the pandemic will be shown again at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games starting next week," he said.

Mitchell also voiced his opposition to the politicization of sports.