Pride and joy as BOCOG is wrapped up

By Cui Xiaohuo (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-24 10:07

The end of an era is often met with sadness, but staff and officials with the Beijing organizing committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG) saw its wrapping up at the weekend after eight years in operation as a time to celebrate.

In their bright red Beijing 2008 uniforms, more than 200 stood to watch the Games' official flag, along with those of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee, lowered for the final time outside the committee headquarters on Saturday.

"There was a mix of pride and sadness," said Huang Qing, a former BOCOG worker. "It may take a long time but I hope the IOC flag will be raised again in Beijing, perhaps in just a few decades."

Around 4,000 staff and officials have worked for the BOCOG since it was founded in December 2003. One year on from the $2.83-billion Games and its staff have taken up new roles with banks, government agencies, the media and organizing committees for the 60th National Day celebrations and the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

"The memories refuse to fade as time goes by," said Du Yunhe, a former BOCOG worker who became a project manager at a State-owned bank in Jiangxi province three months after the Olympics ended. "After I left, I still made calls to my BOCOG family and had long talks. But I like my work now and the international perspective and teamwork spirit that BOCOG gave me has benefited me in my new job."

But the Games did not just benefit individuals, it also improved the city's mindset, said Ren Hai, an Olympics expert at the Beijing Sports University.

"It will be great to see if Beijing keeps to its development models for the Games after netting $146 million in profit and keeps modernizing itself," he said.

Beijing set up a government-led group with a board of senior municipal officials on Aug 6 to study development strategies after the Olympics.

"We will work closely with the IOC and Olympic cities to share experiences. A number of ex-BOCOG staff are now busy with our final report on the Beijing Games to be given to the IOC," said Huang, who is working with the group on international projects.

Officials for the BOCOG will deliver the report to the IOC, national committees and future Olympic organizers at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Oct 1.

"It will be the final chapter, and we will do it well," said Huang.