Two African journalists work at the construction site of
the National Stadium, nicknamed as "Bird's Nest", for the 2008 Olympic Games in
Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2006. The African journalists are in Beijing
to cover the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC),
scheduled for Nov. 4-5. -Xinhua
African reporters showed great interest during a visit to the National
Stadium, a showpiece venue for the 2008 Olympic Games which is under
construction, in Beijing today.
"The design of the stadium is amazing," said Axmed Sagaar, a reporter from a
TV station in Somalia. "I'll tell the athletes in our country that they will
compete in such a fantastic stadium in 2008."
More than 20 African reporters who are here to cover the upcoming Beijing
Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation scheduled for Nov. 4-5 were invited
to visit the stadium, known as"Bird's Nest" for its giant latticework structure
of metal girders.
The 91,000-seat stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies
and athletics events at the 2008 Games, costs 3.13 billion yuan (about 393
million U.S. dollars). The construction work is scheduled to be completed by the
end of next year, said Zhang Hengli, deputy general manager of the National
Stadium Co. Ltd.
After visiting the stadium, Ngoupaha Paul-Marin from Radio Centra frica said
that Central African Republic will send athletes to take part in the 2008
Olympic Games.
"Our athletes are good at football, running and basketball. We hope our
athletes win more medals at the 2008 Games," the reportersaid.
Daniel Makokera, a reporter from South Africa, was very concerned about the
technology, cost and construction of the stadium.
South Africa will embrace the 2010 World Cup as the first African nation to
host such a festival of worldwide football fans.
The General Administration of Sports of China has expressed interest in
expanding the Sino-African sports cooperation into thefield of games
organization and management, which is expected to bring the cooperation between
sports professionals of the two parties to a higher level.
The Sino-African sports cooperation can be traced back to the early 1950's.
According to the statistics from the administration,high-level sports
delegations from China and Africa have frequently exchanged visits since 2000.
China has inked sports agreements with South Africa, Lesotho, Egypt and Tunisia.
To help African nations register notable progress in their weak events, China
has dispatched 38 coaches of 13 events to 12 countries on the African continent.