Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping hosted a dinner banquet on Friday for members of the Olympic Family who are in Beijing to attend the Beijing Olympic Games.
Athletes from worldwide countries and regions have achieved outstanding results at the Beijing Games, Xi said while addressing the guests at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.
"They have promoted the International Olympic Movement, carried forward the spirit of modern Olympiad and intensified mutual understanding and friendship among people from different countries and regions," he said.
The Beijing Games are therefore more than an international sports rally, he added. "It's also a gathering for peace and friendship."
"Without the strong support and help from the International Olympic Committee and all our friends, Beijing's preparations and hosting of the Games would never have been so successful," Xi said. "You will be remembered forever by the Chinese people for your outstanding contributions to these Games."
IOC President Jacques Rogge praised the Beijing Games as successful.
In his speech delivered at the banquet, Rogge said the IOC and the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games have forged profound friendship and worked together over the past seven years.
Rogge expressed thanks for everyone involved in the preparations and hosting of the Beijing Games, adding that their hard efforts have brought about the memorable Games.
BOCOG President Liu Qi presided over the banquet, which was attended by IOC Honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch, senior Communist Party of China official Zhou Yongkang and chairman of IOC Coordination Commission for the Beijing Games Hein Verbruggen, among other members of the Olympic Family.
Source: Xinhua
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tropical storm Nuri makes landfall in China's Guangdong
Tropical storm Nuri made landfall in Nanlang Town, Zhongshan City, of the southern Guangdong Province at 10:10 p.m. on Friday, packing winds of up toforce-10, or 90 km per hour.
Typhoon Nuri was downgraded to a strong tropical storm, the 12th this year, at 4:55 p.m. on Friday after it landed in the coastal areas along Sai Kung of Hong Kong, according to the provincial meteorological station.
Under its influence, force 8 to 10 winds hit the eastern part of Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta. In Shenzhen, the strongest wind was clocked at 42 meters per second, an equivalent of force 14.
Nuri was likely to continue ebbing and moving northwestward. From Friday night till Sunday, torrential rains were expected in western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta.
Source: Xinhua
Typhoon Nuri was downgraded to a strong tropical storm, the 12th this year, at 4:55 p.m. on Friday after it landed in the coastal areas along Sai Kung of Hong Kong, according to the provincial meteorological station.
Under its influence, force 8 to 10 winds hit the eastern part of Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta. In Shenzhen, the strongest wind was clocked at 42 meters per second, an equivalent of force 14.
Nuri was likely to continue ebbing and moving northwestward. From Friday night till Sunday, torrential rains were expected in western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta.
Source: Xinhua
Int'l donation goes to Sichuan quake recovery
The international community has donated through the United Unions to China's early recovery efforts in the areas affected by May 12th's devastating earthquake.
Mr. Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator in China, declared in Beijing today on August 22 that 15 million USD in donations had been offered by the governments and private sectors of the international community since the UN launched its appeal for early earthquake recovery support on July 16. The initiative is expected to raise 33.5 million USD and spend it by the end of the year.
The 11 million USD comes from the governments of Canada , Norway , Saudi Arabia and Belgium , and the European Union . The UN has allocated another 4 million USD from its own resources and private donors.
Donors can specify the use of their contributions in any of eight priority fields including livelihood, healthcare, ethnic minorities, and protection of vulnerable groups. Reports about the use of the fund will be prepared and made public.
UN organizations will work closely with Chinese ministers to identify and implement projects financed with the money. Those projects will also bring the best international practices to China's reconstruction.
The EU and several countries have expressed interest in working with the UN to continue their support on the longer term reconstruction efforts.
Visiting Belgian Foreign Minster Karel De Gucht said at a press conference today in Beijing that Belgium would have its 500,000 euros in commitments in place "immediately." The money will be part of the cooperation between the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and China's Ministry of Agriculture to provide the necessary tools and fertilizer to affected local farming communities in Sichuan, where FAO has worked together with Chinese authorities for nearly 30 years.
The FAO projects as a whole, under the livelihoods categories, will benefit some 8,000 farming households, or about 30,000 people.
Belgium offered 680,000 euros worth of immediate aid to China right after the earthquake rocked Sichuan in southwest China.
The UN system in China has already delivered more than 18 million USD in emergency relief to the affected population in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
By People's Daily Online
Mr. Khalid Malik, UN Resident Coordinator in China, declared in Beijing today on August 22 that 15 million USD in donations had been offered by the governments and private sectors of the international community since the UN launched its appeal for early earthquake recovery support on July 16. The initiative is expected to raise 33.5 million USD and spend it by the end of the year.
The 11 million USD comes from the governments of Canada , Norway , Saudi Arabia and Belgium , and the European Union . The UN has allocated another 4 million USD from its own resources and private donors.
Donors can specify the use of their contributions in any of eight priority fields including livelihood, healthcare, ethnic minorities, and protection of vulnerable groups. Reports about the use of the fund will be prepared and made public.
UN organizations will work closely with Chinese ministers to identify and implement projects financed with the money. Those projects will also bring the best international practices to China's reconstruction.
The EU and several countries have expressed interest in working with the UN to continue their support on the longer term reconstruction efforts.
Visiting Belgian Foreign Minster Karel De Gucht said at a press conference today in Beijing that Belgium would have its 500,000 euros in commitments in place "immediately." The money will be part of the cooperation between the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and China's Ministry of Agriculture to provide the necessary tools and fertilizer to affected local farming communities in Sichuan, where FAO has worked together with Chinese authorities for nearly 30 years.
The FAO projects as a whole, under the livelihoods categories, will benefit some 8,000 farming households, or about 30,000 people.
Belgium offered 680,000 euros worth of immediate aid to China right after the earthquake rocked Sichuan in southwest China.
The UN system in China has already delivered more than 18 million USD in emergency relief to the affected population in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.
By People's Daily Online
Food for Beijing Olympics "100 percent" safe, Beijing official says
As the relay events began at the Beijing Olympic Games, the former president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has predicted that it will be tough for Team Nigeria to win a medal, local media reported on Friday.
Nigeria used to be very strong in the sprint events, but recently has seen its ratings by the International Association of Athletics Federation drop consistently.
Former AFN President Adeyemi-Wilson said that unless the team gets its acts together, it cannot win any relay medal at the ongoing Olympics.
"Our only hope is in the relays and if we do not get our acts together, it is going to be very tough," he said. "I watched the Ethiopian girl winning the 10,000 meters race and my conclusion was that we should start focusing on what we know best."
"I have always opposed spending millions of naira on sponsorship of marathons. We should immediately set up training camps for sprints, jumps and throws in preparation for the 2012 Olympics," he said.
"We can also use part of the money from the National Lottery to train our athletes. The Niger Delta Development Commission should also wake up and sponsor sports in the nine oil-producing states. It will go a long way in reducing militancy by the youths," he added.
Adeyemi-Wilson also urged the armed forces and the paramilitary to develop sportsmen and women for the country, stating that the command schools can produce highly disciplined sportsmen and women for the nation.
He said:"Please, appeal to the governments -- federal, state and local -- to start programs, beginning from now, so that we do not continue performing poorly at international arena."
"I read that the Kenyan male athletes have so far won 16 gold medals at the previous Olympics, while their female athletes have not won any. But camps have now been set up for young female athletes so that they too can be golden! It is a challenge to us," he said.
Source: Xinhua
Nigeria used to be very strong in the sprint events, but recently has seen its ratings by the International Association of Athletics Federation drop consistently.
Former AFN President Adeyemi-Wilson said that unless the team gets its acts together, it cannot win any relay medal at the ongoing Olympics.
"Our only hope is in the relays and if we do not get our acts together, it is going to be very tough," he said. "I watched the Ethiopian girl winning the 10,000 meters race and my conclusion was that we should start focusing on what we know best."
"I have always opposed spending millions of naira on sponsorship of marathons. We should immediately set up training camps for sprints, jumps and throws in preparation for the 2012 Olympics," he said.
"We can also use part of the money from the National Lottery to train our athletes. The Niger Delta Development Commission should also wake up and sponsor sports in the nine oil-producing states. It will go a long way in reducing militancy by the youths," he added.
Adeyemi-Wilson also urged the armed forces and the paramilitary to develop sportsmen and women for the country, stating that the command schools can produce highly disciplined sportsmen and women for the nation.
He said:"Please, appeal to the governments -- federal, state and local -- to start programs, beginning from now, so that we do not continue performing poorly at international arena."
"I read that the Kenyan male athletes have so far won 16 gold medals at the previous Olympics, while their female athletes have not won any. But camps have now been set up for young female athletes so that they too can be golden! It is a challenge to us," he said.
Source: Xinhua
Traffic suspended as Typhoon Nuri edges closer to Macao
The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau hoisted the gale signal No. 8 at 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday as Typhoon Nuri gathered speed and moved closer to Macao.
The bureau said that by 2:00 p.m. local time, Nuri was 110 km east off the coast of Macao, with a max wind speed of the center at 118 km per hour, and was sweeping northwest or northwest by west at a speed of 15 km per hour toward the estuary of the Pearl River.
The tropical cyclone has brought strong winds and heavy showers to the island city. The bureau's meteorological station recorded a wind speed of up to 110 km per hour in the afternoon, and it forecast that there will be flooding in some low-lying areas.
Bad weather has caused the suspension of most of the city's public traffic. Local flagship airline Air Macao and Taiwan's Eva Air announced the cancellation of all the flights scheduled to depart Macao this afternoon. Other flights at the Macao International Airport were either delayed or canceled.
Ferry services between Macao and Hong Kong were also temporarily closed after 7:45 a.m. on Friday, and dozens of passengers were stranded at Macao's Outer Harbor this afternoon.
As for the land transport, the city's two major bus companies were forced to suspend their operations at 1:20 p.m. due to the Typhoon.
With weather conditions deteriorating, most of the employees of local companies and government departments and local students took their extra leave, and exams scheduled to take place at local schools and institutions were canceled after the hoisting of the gale signal No. 8 this afternoon.
Source: Xinhua
The bureau said that by 2:00 p.m. local time, Nuri was 110 km east off the coast of Macao, with a max wind speed of the center at 118 km per hour, and was sweeping northwest or northwest by west at a speed of 15 km per hour toward the estuary of the Pearl River.
The tropical cyclone has brought strong winds and heavy showers to the island city. The bureau's meteorological station recorded a wind speed of up to 110 km per hour in the afternoon, and it forecast that there will be flooding in some low-lying areas.
Bad weather has caused the suspension of most of the city's public traffic. Local flagship airline Air Macao and Taiwan's Eva Air announced the cancellation of all the flights scheduled to depart Macao this afternoon. Other flights at the Macao International Airport were either delayed or canceled.
Ferry services between Macao and Hong Kong were also temporarily closed after 7:45 a.m. on Friday, and dozens of passengers were stranded at Macao's Outer Harbor this afternoon.
As for the land transport, the city's two major bus companies were forced to suspend their operations at 1:20 p.m. due to the Typhoon.
With weather conditions deteriorating, most of the employees of local companies and government departments and local students took their extra leave, and exams scheduled to take place at local schools and institutions were canceled after the hoisting of the gale signal No. 8 this afternoon.
Source: Xinhua
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Beach volleyball preview: U.S. May-Treanor/Walsh seek to repeat glory
Without losing a single set, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh of the United States breezed into the beach volleyball final at the Beijing Olympics.
Far more than that. Dubbed as "queens of the beach", the American duo have not been defeated in a single match since last August.
The 1.75-meter May-Treanor and 1.88-meter Walsh play so solid that almost every time when the rivals launch a powerful attack and you expect the Americans to lose a point, they return the ball back, and score directly sometimes.
It's not only about techniques, but experiences as well.
The three-time Olympian May-Treanor said experiences are their advantage and they will use them to gain the upper hand over their rivals in Beijing. "Experience in beach volleyball comes into play in those big matches where fatigue sets in." said May-Treanor.
"We know where each other is going to be and where each other wants the ball. We're relentless. We keep the ball in play and let the other people make the mistakes," said Walsh, who is also for the third time at the Olympics. She played indoor volleyball in the last Games.
The combination of the pair is another factor which has contributed to their outstanding results. Men's beach volleyball legend and three-time Olympic champion of the United States Karch Kiraly also prized the partnership of May-Treanor and Walsh "the best ever".
Strong psychology is another significant weapon for the U.S. duo to perform well. "I will pretend that the crowd was cheering for us," May-Treanor said of the audience's anticipated strong support in the final at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground on Thursday , but not for them.
The U.S. duo will face China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie in the gold medal match.
Tian and Wang said their rivals were "very strong" both in experiences and techniques and they just wanted to do their best in the final match.
The Chinese duo remained unbeaten at the Beijing Games but sometimes they had to come from behind to win a match. Their instability in performance will be meeting the hardest test in the final.
Tian and Wang, who have already made history for China whose previous best Olympics finish was ninth place, are expected to pose some threats to the defending champions with the support of thousands of home crowd but the result may still be that the American duo prolongs its current 107-match winning streak to a 108-match one.
Source:Xinhua
Far more than that. Dubbed as "queens of the beach", the American duo have not been defeated in a single match since last August.
The 1.75-meter May-Treanor and 1.88-meter Walsh play so solid that almost every time when the rivals launch a powerful attack and you expect the Americans to lose a point, they return the ball back, and score directly sometimes.
It's not only about techniques, but experiences as well.
The three-time Olympian May-Treanor said experiences are their advantage and they will use them to gain the upper hand over their rivals in Beijing. "Experience in beach volleyball comes into play in those big matches where fatigue sets in." said May-Treanor.
"We know where each other is going to be and where each other wants the ball. We're relentless. We keep the ball in play and let the other people make the mistakes," said Walsh, who is also for the third time at the Olympics. She played indoor volleyball in the last Games.
The combination of the pair is another factor which has contributed to their outstanding results. Men's beach volleyball legend and three-time Olympic champion of the United States Karch Kiraly also prized the partnership of May-Treanor and Walsh "the best ever".
Strong psychology is another significant weapon for the U.S. duo to perform well. "I will pretend that the crowd was cheering for us," May-Treanor said of the audience's anticipated strong support in the final at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground on Thursday , but not for them.
The U.S. duo will face China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie in the gold medal match.
Tian and Wang said their rivals were "very strong" both in experiences and techniques and they just wanted to do their best in the final match.
The Chinese duo remained unbeaten at the Beijing Games but sometimes they had to come from behind to win a match. Their instability in performance will be meeting the hardest test in the final.
Tian and Wang, who have already made history for China whose previous best Olympics finish was ninth place, are expected to pose some threats to the defending champions with the support of thousands of home crowd but the result may still be that the American duo prolongs its current 107-match winning streak to a 108-match one.
Source:Xinhua
South Korea to dominiate taekwondo featherweight events
Two rookie South Koreans will make their debut on Thursday to defend the honor of the taekwondo powerhouse.
Lim Su-jeong, who celebrated her 22nd birthday Wednesday, will compete in the women's 57kg category, and Son Tae-jin, 20, will fight for the title in men's 68kg division in the Olympic taekwondo events, which began on Wednesday in the University of Science and Technology Beijing gymnasium.
Head coach Kim Sei-hyeok said after the draw that South Korea is to win four golds.
It won't be an easy job for Lim, gold medalist in the world qualification events, to present the ambitious team a good start, as she will face a tough opponent, Su Li-Wen of Chinese Taipei, in the first round during the preliminaries.
Veteran Su, Asian Games gold medalist in women's 63kg category, has already been prepared "physically and mentally no matter who she will fight against", according to head coach Ho Wei-Hsing.
If Lim wins, she will not meet real challenges until fighting against the younger sister of the famous Lopez's, Diana Lopez, in the final if the 2005 world champion can also make it in another pool.
Son Tae-jin will also have a tough fight in the preliminaries and another Lopez, Mark Lopez of the USA, also a 2005 world champion will also be a potential gold contender. The question is whether they can meet in the final competition.
Source:Xinhua
Lim Su-jeong, who celebrated her 22nd birthday Wednesday, will compete in the women's 57kg category, and Son Tae-jin, 20, will fight for the title in men's 68kg division in the Olympic taekwondo events, which began on Wednesday in the University of Science and Technology Beijing gymnasium.
Head coach Kim Sei-hyeok said after the draw that South Korea is to win four golds.
It won't be an easy job for Lim, gold medalist in the world qualification events, to present the ambitious team a good start, as she will face a tough opponent, Su Li-Wen of Chinese Taipei, in the first round during the preliminaries.
Veteran Su, Asian Games gold medalist in women's 63kg category, has already been prepared "physically and mentally no matter who she will fight against", according to head coach Ho Wei-Hsing.
If Lim wins, she will not meet real challenges until fighting against the younger sister of the famous Lopez's, Diana Lopez, in the final if the 2005 world champion can also make it in another pool.
Son Tae-jin will also have a tough fight in the preliminaries and another Lopez, Mark Lopez of the USA, also a 2005 world champion will also be a potential gold contender. The question is whether they can meet in the final competition.
Source:Xinhua
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