9,585 reporters to cover Guangzhou Asian Games, says official

Guangzhou, November 12 - Ren Tianhua, Deputy Director of the Broadcasting & Media Services Department of the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) and Director of the Main Press Center (MPC) was invited to the Asian Games Lounge, a talk show from the Official Website of the 16th Asian Games, to talk about his viewpoints as to the media coverage of the Guangzhou Asian Games.

During the interview, Mr Ren said that the media coverage scale of the Guangzhou Asian Games is unprecedented and the number of participating media as well as registered journalists and reporters is much more than that of any previous Asian Games. According to statistics, the Guangzhou Asian Games invite 9, 585 registered journalists and reporters, and 887 media from all over the world.

When asked about what GAGOC did to meet such huge demands of all media and media workers, Mr Ren added with confidence, "As we have already predicted the unparalleled media coverage scale of the Games three years ago, all preparations were done on a media volume basis of approximately 10,000 people."

According to Mr Ren, GAGOC has also made careful and thorough considerations as to transport, accommodation and other services for all media and media workers. Two media distribution stations have been set up in MPC and Tianhe District respectively, where journalists can select any of the 123 planned travel routes to get to all competition venues in the fastest and most efficient manner. Moreover, GAGOC has also made close arrangements to guaranty diversified catering services for all media during the Games.
Source: GAGOC

Asian Games flame travels through Guangzhou

At 9:00am, the first torchbearer Yang Yilin received "The Tide" from Zhang Guangning, Secretary of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The torch travelled through 207 torchbearers' hands to the last torchbearer Timothy Fok, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Mr Fok lit the cauldron with Yang Wu, Director of the Torch Relay Operation Centre, and the Torch Relay ended with extreme joy.

Among the 208 torchbearers were many celebrities such as famous singer Song Zuying, Olympic gold medalist Wang Yifu, successful enterpriser Lan Fok and Dawa Yangzom who lit a flame at the foot of Mount Tangula to start the Torch Relay for the Beijing Asian Games in 1990 at the age of 14. There were 10 performance spots along the relay tour.

The flame will be relayed in Dafushan Mountain in Panyu District and Guangzhou University Town (Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre) respectively from November 10 to November 11.

(Cheng Fang)
Source: GAGOC

3,989 medals to be awarded during the Asian Games

3,989 medals to be awarded during the Asian Games 2010



Guangzhou, November 9 - The 16th Asian Games, part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), will award 3,989 medals as Games officials detail the awards ceremony for 476 events.

The Asian Games are the second largest sport sevent in the world after the Summer Olympic Games.

The medals for the 16th Asian Games take its theme from the ancient Silk Road and are a positive fusing of the Games and emblem of the OCA together with graphics depicting the Guangzhou city flower - Kapok. Featuring the OCA logo of the dancing dragon and soaring hawk, the medals also depicts the OCA's shining sun visual effect through a bowstring grain design that expresses the core elements of the 16th Asian Games–the bright sun and the delicate Red Kapok flower.

Each of the award ceremony elements have been meticulously prepared to the finest details include all of the medals, certificates, flowers, awards platform, pallets and background boards used as well as specific sizes for each national flag, timed national anthems and opening award ceremony music.

The 16th Asian Games awards bouquet will consist mainly of gladiolus, red ear crown composition, plus crystal grass, blue leaf, turtle bamboo or golden bowl anise for accent decoration. There are 39 Asian Games ceremony work teams with 1,166 workers, 146 team workers, 380 awards etiquette staff, 250 flag-raising staff and 390 general volunteers.

Games organisers spent one year searching across China for the young ladies that would participate in the award ceremonies. The search committee travelled to more than 110 universities and ultimately selected 380 individuals to become official Asian Games awards etiquette volunteers.

The flag raising staff come from Guangdong Armed Police Department, Guangzhou military region and Hong Kong units. When the Asian Games begin, 380 awards etiquette and 250 flag-raising staff will work together to form 23 ceremony professional volunteer teams.

(Jeff Ruffolo)
　Source: GAGOC

Guangzhou opens Main Media Centre for Asian Games

Guangzhou opens Main Media Centre for Asian Games

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Monday opened the Main Media Centre (MMC) for the 2010 Asian Games to the world media.

The MMC covers 40,000 square metres and houses the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre.
The Main Press Centre provides working spaces for 580 journalists and 130 photographers. It also offers telephone, Internet connections and printing services.
The Main Press Center also has three press conference halls and provides multi-language services, including English, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Arabic.
According to the Asian Games Organising Committee, there are more than 10,000 registered journalists, photographers and cameramen covering the Games.
The Asian Games runs from Nov. 12 to 27.

Source: Xinhua

Asian Games flame reached the host city

Asian Games flame reached the host city

The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games flame reached the host city on Friday (November 5) after touring 24 cities across the country.

From Saturday (November 6), the flame will travel to 12 districts and counties in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, and then through the city's urban centre, Dafushan Mountain in Panyu District and Guangzhou University Town.

In the urban centre, the relay will start at the landmark Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and go across the Pearl River, which runs from west to east through the city.

The flame will finally ignite the cauldron at the Asian Games during the Opening Ceremony on Haixinsha Island on November 12.

The flame was collected at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall on October 9 and the relay officialy started in Beijing on October 12.

Wan Qingliang, Mayor of Guangzhou, on Friday (November 5) morning distributed the flame to district and county heads and called on Guangzhou residents to cheer the flame along its final path.

About 610 torchbearers, with the oldest being 93 and the youngest six, will participate in the relay in Guangzhou, according to Yang Xinlai, Deputy Director of the Guangzhou Asian Games Torch Relay Operation Centre.

"They come from all walks of life. Some celebrities and sport stars, including folk singer Song Zhuying and Olympic weightlifting champion Chen Xiexia," Yang said.

Zhou Jiawei, who won the 50m butterfly at the Doha Asian Games in 2006, said he was honoured to take part in the Torch Relay in his hometown.

"The torch will inspire me to do a better job in the upcoming games. I am thinking of making a special pose when the flame is passed to me," he said.

Zhou, 27, who was born in Guangzhou, will participate in the 50m and 100m butterfly events at the games, which will be held from November 12 to 27.

Local residents, like 34-year-old Huang Meihua, a white-collar worker, are looking forward to seeing the relay.

"It will be a big carnival for us before the opening of the games," Huang said.

Source: China Daily

Main Media Centre for Asian Games is now opening

Main Media Centre for Asian Games is now opening



The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou Monday opened the Main Media Centre (MMC) for the 2010 Asian Games to the world media.

The MMC covers 40,000 square metres and houses the Main Press Centre and the International Broadcast Centre.

The Main Press Centre provides working spaces for 580 journalists and 130 photographers. It also offers telephone, Internet connections and printing services.

The Main Press Center also has three press conference halls and provides multi-language services, including English, Japanese, Korean, Russian and Arabic.

According to the Asian Games Organising Committee, there are more than 10,000 registered journalists, photographers and cameramen covering the Games.

The Asian Games runs from Nov. 12 to 27.

Source: Xinhua

GAGOC outlines Athletes' Village services for Asian Games 2010

Guangzhou, November 2 - The 16th Asian Games, part of the worldwide Olympic movement and governed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held its first official press conference for the world media at the Main Media Centre.

The Asian Games are the second largest sports event in the world after the Summer Olympic Games.

According to Mr Chen Shaokang, Executive Mayor of the Athletes' Village, October 25, 2010 marked the start of the pre-opening period of the Athletes' Village. By November 1, it has received the advance teams of NOC delegations from Japan, Iraq, Thailand, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Vietnam.

Mr Chen outlined the following:

The official opening is scheduled for November 5 and approximately 10,156 athletes and 4,202 team officials from 45 countries and regions will stay in the Village during the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games.

The Athletes' Village is located in north central of the Asian Games Town, adjoining the Technical Officials' Village and the Media Village in the east and west respectively, bordering the Asian Games Town Gymnasium in the south and having the Asian Games Park and the Beach Volleyball Venue in its southeast corner. Built on a 329,024m² land space and with a total floor area of 591,332m², it stands at the core of the Asian Games Town Division and is the most important Games-time services area.

The Village provides a Games-time residence for the athletes and serves as the headquarters for NOC delegations, the venue of the Chefs de Mission meetings and the place where Chefs de Mission representatives are received and Team Welcome Ceremonies, flag-raising ceremonies and a variety of cultural activities are held. It plays an important role in the Games arrangements for security, accommodation, catering, transport, protocol, religious services, medical services, recreation, entertainment and cultural events.

The Athletes' Village consists of the Public Zone, the Residential Zone and the International Zone. Athletes & team officials and visitors will enter the public zone first after their arrival in the Athletes' Village.

It includes the Welcome Centre, the Guest Centre, the Media Centre, NOC parking lot, the Arrivals and Departures Terminal, shuttle bus parking lot and the Transport Plaza.

The Athletes' Village provides shuttles and delegation vehicles to meet the transport needs of athletes and team officials upon their arrivals and departures and at the time of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, trainings and competitions. As the weather in November is perfect for a tour around Guangzhou, six sightseeing and shopping routes are operated between the Village and the Asian Games Cultural Village, Lianhua Mountain, Xiangjiang Safari Park, Tianhe CBD and a few other places.

The Residential Zone includes apartment buildings, the Athletes' Dining Hall, the Services Centre, the Physical Recovery Centre and the Mayor's Office.

Source: GAGOC