Guangzhou launches two-year countdown to Asian Games

By Li Qian (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-11-12 11:47

Journalists watch a promotional video during a press conference introducing the two-year countdown to the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong orovince, November 11, 2008. [Li Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

GUANGZHOU, Guangdong Province -- The much-anticipated 16th Asian Games will have a two-year countdown in the host city Guangzhou on November 12.

A ceremony to mark the milestone event will be held at Tianhe Sports Center, Liu Ruisheng, Vice Secretary-general of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGO), announced at a press conference in the southern Chinese city Tuesday.

"The Guangzhou Games will be the second Asian Games held in China after the 11th Asian Games held in Beijing in 1990, and will also be an important comprehensive international sports event in a Chinese city after the 2008 Beijing Olympics," Liu said.

From 1990 to 2008, China astonished the world with its rapid development in just over a decade, and demonstrated its capability to host large-scale sports events.

On November 12, 2010, more than 10,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries will descend on Guangzhou and compete in 42 sports events.

An Asian Games park is now under construction, which will accommodate all the athletes, officials and reporters. The city is also building seven more subway lines, which will, together with the existing four lines, link 80 percent of all Asian Games venues.

The government anticipates the massive infrastructure construction will stimulate the economy in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Looking back on previous sporting events, it’s been shown that as they get bigger, the host city develops faster. Guangzhou is keenly grasping this opportunity to promote the city around the continent and spur its social development.

The city of Guangzhou, with a history of more than 2,200 years, is expecting to usher in a new era of development through the Asian Games.

Business opportunities around the Games are being explored.

A promotional event will also be launched during the countdown on Wednesday. Sponsors of the Games, media and volunteers will travel along the ancient Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road in one year, to introduce Guangzhou and the Asian Games to many Asian countries along the sea and land routes.