What fun. This from The IOC.
This evening about 10,000 people were present at a ceremony on Tianan’men Square, where the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, invited the world to come and join the Beijing 2008 party. In a spectacular ceremony in front of the Forbidden City, one of China’s most famous historical landmarks, the IOC President handed out invitations to the National Olympic Committees (NOC) of Greece, Canada, Great Britain, Russia and China – the current NOCs with Olympic Games host cities on their territories and Greece, as the home of the Games – inviting them to come to Beijing to participate in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The ceremony was also attended by representatives of the other NOCs of the Olympic Movement, whose invitations were sent from the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne.
The Olympic Games don’t come without a bucketload of criticism and neither does China. Heck, the two combined could mean these Games will either be a match made in heaven, or in hell; depending on which way the pollution, tourists, journalists and heavy handed security blows.
I’m certainly betting that these Games will be the most interesting in decades if only because China appears ready to embrace the world and the world more than ready to reciprocate judging by Chinese exports. If the Games can be a facilitator in furthering that then it’s worth it’s weight in graft, corruption, Presidential suites and silly old buggers in blazers.
More importantly though I’m happy for the individual citizens of Beijing. Here in Sydney we know what it’s like to live in a host city and attend events in your hometown, and it’s a buzz that I’ll never forget. Soon we’ll have something in common, so, I’m sending some Olympic love to them and hoping that I’ll get the chance to visit and attend some events. Failing that I’ll be glued to the television like everyone else. Only 365 days to go to 08/08/08.
