Attempts to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics doomed to fail, says Russian communist party leader

MOSCOW - Attempts of reactionary foreign forces to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are doomed to fail, Russia's communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov has said.

Since ancient times, sports have been a celebration of friendship, the will to win, and the spirit of honest competition, Zyuganov, chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

However, some foreign forces are distorting facts and trying to politicize the Beijing Winter Olympics, he noted.

China, Zyuganov said, was elected to host the 2022 Games at a session of the International Olympic Committee six years ago in compliance with all democratic procedures.

"China is making every effort to make the Olympics a spectacular, exciting and safe event, to hold it at the highest level," he said.

"The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing proved China's unique capabilities," Zyuganov added. "They have significantly increased the international prestige of China as a country capable of hosting large-scale events."

Some "aggressive" foreign forces were annoyed to see that Beijing will be holding the Winter Games and they are "trying to deprive the entire world of the main sporting event", he said.

Their attempts to boycott the Beijing winter games will also inflict a huge blow on international relations and inter-ethnic ties since sports serve as one of the few connecting threads for the rapprochement of peoples and countries, Zyuganov said.

"China has many more friends than opponents in the world. Together, we will turn the Winter Olympic Games, which are just a few months away, into a real sporting event for all people on the planet," he said.