The second wave of culture and art consultants, for designing the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, was announced at a ceremony in Beijing yesterday.
The guest list at the ceremony included; the Honorary President of the Chinese Olympic Committee and IOC member He Zhenliang, composer and educator Wu Zuqiang, and Academy Award winning filmmaker Ang Lee.
BOCOG President Liu Qi extended his congratulations to the new members of the consultant team, and expressed hopes that every consultant will provide valuable suggestions and advice to the organising team.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
London Olympics Upset Muslims
As the old saying goes, you can never please everyone. The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics are discovering the veracity of this saying, as it has just been pointed out to them that the 2012 Games will clash with Ramadan, the most holy month in the Islamic calendar.
Some Muslims claim that this will mean that Muslim athletes will be at a disadvantage, as they fast from sunrise to sunset for the entire duration of the Games.
In 2012, Ramadan takes place from July 21 to August 20, while the Olympics run from July 27 to August 12.
Around 3,000 Muslim competitors are expected to be affected.
Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, said:
"They would not have organised this at Christmas. It is equally stupid to organise it at Ramadan.
It shows a complete lack of awareness and sensitivity.
This is going to disadvantage the athletes and alienate the Asian communities by saying they don't matter.
It's not only going to affect the participants it's going to affect all the people who want to watch the Games.
They won't want to travel during Ramadan and they won't want to watch sport. It's a spiritual time."
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam on the Muslim Council of Great Britain, rather wisely pointed out there will doubtless be a sensible solution:
"I'm sure the athletes will seek advice from their scholars.
They are obviously going to be at a disadvantage because other competitors will be drinking and keeping up their energy levels.
But they are athletes and I am sure they will train their bodies to cope with this.
A Muslim might feel it would have been nice to avoid this month but life doesn't stop for Muslims during Ramadan even though they are fasting.
The best thing for a Muslim is to continue his or her life as normal. This is the real test."
Muslim countries, such as Turkey, are calling for the date to be changed.
Joanna Manning Cooper, spokeswoman for London 2012, said:
"We are working with the Muslim Council of Great Britain to find ways to accommodate Ramadan during the London Games."
Britain and the world is not Muslim, it is not for the world to change it's plans to suit Islam or any other religion.
Some Muslims claim that this will mean that Muslim athletes will be at a disadvantage, as they fast from sunrise to sunset for the entire duration of the Games.
In 2012, Ramadan takes place from July 21 to August 20, while the Olympics run from July 27 to August 12.
Around 3,000 Muslim competitors are expected to be affected.
Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the London-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, said:
"They would not have organised this at Christmas. It is equally stupid to organise it at Ramadan.
It shows a complete lack of awareness and sensitivity.
This is going to disadvantage the athletes and alienate the Asian communities by saying they don't matter.
It's not only going to affect the participants it's going to affect all the people who want to watch the Games.
They won't want to travel during Ramadan and they won't want to watch sport. It's a spiritual time."
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam on the Muslim Council of Great Britain, rather wisely pointed out there will doubtless be a sensible solution:
"I'm sure the athletes will seek advice from their scholars.
They are obviously going to be at a disadvantage because other competitors will be drinking and keeping up their energy levels.
But they are athletes and I am sure they will train their bodies to cope with this.
A Muslim might feel it would have been nice to avoid this month but life doesn't stop for Muslims during Ramadan even though they are fasting.
The best thing for a Muslim is to continue his or her life as normal. This is the real test."
Muslim countries, such as Turkey, are calling for the date to be changed.
Joanna Manning Cooper, spokeswoman for London 2012, said:
"We are working with the Muslim Council of Great Britain to find ways to accommodate Ramadan during the London Games."
Britain and the world is not Muslim, it is not for the world to change it's plans to suit Islam or any other religion.
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Frugal Olympics
With the 2008 Olympics in Beijing being less than two years away, and costs mounting, the organisers are looking for ways to exert greater cost control.
The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) held a seminar on Monday to further emphasise the principle of "frugal Olympics", as laid down by the central government.
The committee's executive vice-president, Liu Jingming, said that they will invite experts to review the budgets in order to look for cost savings and to prevent corruption.
The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) held a seminar on Monday to further emphasise the principle of "frugal Olympics", as laid down by the central government.
The committee's executive vice-president, Liu Jingming, said that they will invite experts to review the budgets in order to look for cost savings and to prevent corruption.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Burger Off!
Proving yet again that the Olympics is about money and sponsorship, not about sport, the British Olympic Organising Committee have landed themselves in an embarrassing situation with regard to one of the sponsors (McDonald's) for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Green Party is demanding to know how McDonald's, the burger chain, fits in with promises to promote locally grown food. It should also be noted that the British government is currently conducting a very assertive healthy eating/anti obesity campaign in the UK, as such some people could argue that to associate itself with a promoter of fast food is a tad hypocritical.
The London organising committee, needless to say, are insisting that McDonald's would not have any exclusive control over catering and would be just one of a range of outlets supplying food.
Rather laughably McDonald's is the "official restaurant" (how on earth can anyone describe McDonald's as a restaurant?) of the Games, as a result of a long-term deal with the International Olympic Committee.
Money first, health and sport second!
The Green Party is demanding to know how McDonald's, the burger chain, fits in with promises to promote locally grown food. It should also be noted that the British government is currently conducting a very assertive healthy eating/anti obesity campaign in the UK, as such some people could argue that to associate itself with a promoter of fast food is a tad hypocritical.
The London organising committee, needless to say, are insisting that McDonald's would not have any exclusive control over catering and would be just one of a range of outlets supplying food.
Rather laughably McDonald's is the "official restaurant" (how on earth can anyone describe McDonald's as a restaurant?) of the Games, as a result of a long-term deal with the International Olympic Committee.
Money first, health and sport second!
Monday, October 9, 2006
A Stonking Investment
In what can only be described as a "stonkingly large" investment, China has stated that it will invest $59.5BN in Beijing infrastructure during the 2006-2010 period.
The money will be spent on 2,400 construction and upgrading projects. The projects to ease city traffic, improve energy and water supply and improve the city environment will be completed before start of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Beijing plans to have a state of the art international air service hub by 2008, which will be able to process 60 million passengers a year.
Beijing will also expand parking lots, and ensure that there will be a parking place for each motor vehicle in the coming five years. Beijing now has approximately 2.8 million motor vehicles but only 1.4-1.5 million parking places.
The Taiyanggong gas-firing thermal power plant will have been built by 2008, and heating pipes laid for the Olympic gymnasiums and surrounding areas. Electricity transmission projects for the areas will be completed, and construction will be speeded up on the Beijing section of the south-to-north water diversion program.
Beijing also intends to clean up rivers and lakes, and to improve the water quality.
Ambitious plans indeed.
Can the environment and the econmy afford them?
The money will be spent on 2,400 construction and upgrading projects. The projects to ease city traffic, improve energy and water supply and improve the city environment will be completed before start of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Beijing plans to have a state of the art international air service hub by 2008, which will be able to process 60 million passengers a year.
Beijing will also expand parking lots, and ensure that there will be a parking place for each motor vehicle in the coming five years. Beijing now has approximately 2.8 million motor vehicles but only 1.4-1.5 million parking places.
The Taiyanggong gas-firing thermal power plant will have been built by 2008, and heating pipes laid for the Olympic gymnasiums and surrounding areas. Electricity transmission projects for the areas will be completed, and construction will be speeded up on the Beijing section of the south-to-north water diversion program.
Beijing also intends to clean up rivers and lakes, and to improve the water quality.
Ambitious plans indeed.
Can the environment and the econmy afford them?
Friday, October 6, 2006
Auditors To Check The Books
The Department of Canadian Heritage is hiring an auditor to check the 2010 Winter Olympics organising committee's (VANOC) books.
The audit is aimed at providing the department's Olympic secretariat with the assurance that VANOC, has adequate and effective management controls, risk-management frameworks and overall governance structures.
It also wants to ensure that money provided was used for the intended purpose, and recommend improvements in the way the committee and the department manage the venture.
In August, Partnerships B.C., part of the Ministry of Economic Development that oversees the Olympics, released a due diligence report that queried VANOC's approach to budgeting and recommended changes.
However, the head of the Vancouver Olympic Organising Committee says there's nothing unusual in Ottawa's plan to look at spending for 2010 Olympic preparations.
John Furlong, the committee's CEO, said such reviews are expected and done regularly by Ottawa and the B.C. government.
He says the audit will only look at how the federal government's part of the Olympic construction budget is being spent.
Nonetheless the federal government recently added another $55M towards Games venue construction, with a warning that it would be the last contribution.
Maybe they are worried about how the money is being spent?
The audit is aimed at providing the department's Olympic secretariat with the assurance that VANOC, has adequate and effective management controls, risk-management frameworks and overall governance structures.
It also wants to ensure that money provided was used for the intended purpose, and recommend improvements in the way the committee and the department manage the venture.
In August, Partnerships B.C., part of the Ministry of Economic Development that oversees the Olympics, released a due diligence report that queried VANOC's approach to budgeting and recommended changes.
However, the head of the Vancouver Olympic Organising Committee says there's nothing unusual in Ottawa's plan to look at spending for 2010 Olympic preparations.
John Furlong, the committee's CEO, said such reviews are expected and done regularly by Ottawa and the B.C. government.
He says the audit will only look at how the federal government's part of the Olympic construction budget is being spent.
Nonetheless the federal government recently added another $55M towards Games venue construction, with a warning that it would be the last contribution.
Maybe they are worried about how the money is being spent?
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
Football Nationalism
Plans by Olympic chiefs to push ahead with a British soccer team for the 2008 and 2012 Olympics may well fall into disarray, as both Scotland and Wales kick up a fuss over losing their national identities on the field.
The Football Associations of Wales and Scotland boycotted a British Olympics Association meeting last week. In their absence, it was agreed to enter a British women's team in 2008 and men's and women's in 2012.
The Welsh and Scottish FAs are worried that it may set a precedent for all-British teams in the World Cup and European Championship.
Welsh Culture Minister Alun Pugh said:
"I would be concerned at any steps that could lead to the eventual abolition of the FAW as a national association and having a British team participating in football World Cups and European Championships."
Does it really matter?
The Football Associations of Wales and Scotland boycotted a British Olympics Association meeting last week. In their absence, it was agreed to enter a British women's team in 2008 and men's and women's in 2012.
The Welsh and Scottish FAs are worried that it may set a precedent for all-British teams in the World Cup and European Championship.
Welsh Culture Minister Alun Pugh said:
"I would be concerned at any steps that could lead to the eventual abolition of the FAW as a national association and having a British team participating in football World Cups and European Championships."
Does it really matter?
Monday, October 2, 2006
Carry on Cruising
The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Winter Olympics have managed to upset the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who were a tad dismissive of VOC's suggestion for journalistic accommodation for the Winter Games 2010.
VANOC suggested that a cruise ship village in Squamish, at the head of Howe Sound, 54 kilometres from Whistler, be used to accommodate some of the 10,000 media representatives who are expected at the Winter Games.
The plan was dismissed by the IOC as being "inappropriate."
IOC press commission chairman, Kevan Gosper, said:
"Let's say the idea was firmly and politely rejected. Whilst a cruise ship may be suitable for tourists and corporates, we don't think it was an appropriate option for as important a working group as the press."
VANOC are reportedly going to try to persuade the IOC to change their mind.
VANOC suggested that a cruise ship village in Squamish, at the head of Howe Sound, 54 kilometres from Whistler, be used to accommodate some of the 10,000 media representatives who are expected at the Winter Games.
The plan was dismissed by the IOC as being "inappropriate."
IOC press commission chairman, Kevan Gosper, said:
"Let's say the idea was firmly and politely rejected. Whilst a cruise ship may be suitable for tourists and corporates, we don't think it was an appropriate option for as important a working group as the press."
VANOC are reportedly going to try to persuade the IOC to change their mind.
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