Foreign and Military Affairs

IOC chief touts Asia in Guangzhou

By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-14 08:30

IOC chief Rogge has full confidence that the legacy of the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be carried forward in China. Edmond Tang / China Daily

GUANGZHOU - Since being elected president of the International Olympic Committee in 2001, Belgian Jacques Rogge impressed people by his seriousness toward doping and the initiation of the Youth Olympic Games.

But for the head of the world's sport himself, the biggest achievement is to remain the man he was before.

"I think my major achievement is that I have remained myself. I have not changed," Rogge told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

"I think I would like to tell people to understand that I take the task very seriously, that I work hard, that I want to do this for sport and humanity," He added.

The head of the world's most high-profile sports event is in Guangzhou right now, attending the ongoing General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on the sidelines of the 16th Asian Games.

The Games in Guangzhou, Rogge said, are the latest manifestation of the rise of Asian sports. The IOC chief expressed satisfaction that the legacy of Beijing's 2008 Olympic Games is being felt across China.

Since arriving in the southern city on Thursday night, Rogge's two-day trip has included meeting with heads of state, attending the opening ceremony of the Asian Games,making a speech at the OCA General Assembly, presenting a series of social activities and, of course, receiving journalists for interviews.

The 68-year-old president has become used to such a busy timetable, saying, "That's my life".

It is the second time that Rogge visited Guangzhou; he came the first time in 2001 to attend the opening ceremony of China's 9th National Games. He was very glad to see that the Beijing Olympic legacy has benefited the whole country, saying it "has really anchored very deeply in Chinese society."

A former yachting athlete, Rogge served as President of the Belgian National Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992 and became president of the European Olympic Committees in 1989. He became an IOC member in 1991 and an executive board member in 1998 before stepping into the president's position in 2001.

The rise of Asian countries on the world's sports scene in recent years has drawn his attention.

"In 2004, at the end of the Athens Olympics, at the final press conference, the media asked me what are the conclusions from the Games. I said two things. I said that, first of all, these Games will be unforgettable because they were very well-organized. And I said that we saw the rise of the Asian continent in sport," said Rogge.

"There were great performances, not only by China, but also by Japan, Korea, Thailand. This has been confirmed in Beijing. Your country was No 1 with 51 gold medals. This will also continue in London, I'm quite sure."

The opening ceremony and the organization work in Guangzhou for the Asian Games also impressed him.

"I think it was an absolutely fantastic opening ceremony I liked also very much the activity in using the water and using the river and also the backdrop of the city behind the scene," he said.

"I know my Chinese friends are masters in organizing major events, and definitely sports events."

With three more years to go for his term of IOC presidency, Rogge, who considers himself a perfectionist, said there are still more things for him to do.

"You never can be complacent and you never believe that you have done enough," he said.

"We have to continue to work on the quality of the Games, to grow the Youth Olympic Games and develop it. We have to continue to fight against doping and illegal betting. We have to continue to strengthen the values of sports."

After retirement, Rogge said, he has a lot of plans, but they are private. "An individual who cannot dream any more, who has no plan, is a sad thing. I still have a lot of things to do."

China Daily