Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Rogge says Olympics opened up China

Olympics Aug. 24, 2008 - 11:32PM JST ( 5 )

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5 Comments

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movieguyAug. 25, 2008 - 01:36PM JST

No comments yet at 1:30 in the afternoon? Wow... OK. My brief assessment. What could we expect Rogge to say, "We made a bad choice?" Organization wise it was a great Olympics, but what would anyone expect from a regime that does nothing but control it's people?

>"...It is clear that the ability to bring in hundreds of thousands of volunteers in the different sites..."

Does this man really expect us to believe that these people actually had a choice to "volunteer" at the sites? I know many Chinese people and they were all excited that the Olympics would be held in Beijing, but when I asked several of them (educated in Japan, the UK and the US) how officials would get the numbers needed to stage the event they told me that living in a communist country that people would be "instructed" what they would need to do.

It was a great Olympics when it came to organization and athletic performances, but China still did not deserve to have the Olympics.
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LStevenAug. 25, 2008 - 05:38PM JST

I agree with you movieguy. China did a good job of organizing these games, and controlling the weather for even a brief moment, but it certainly was far from being perfect. Oppression continued and freedom of speech was nonexistent.

No peaceful protests were approved and thus held. You could even see how empty stadiums were, even though the government claimed to have sold out all tickets. They even had to go to the trouble of instructing Chinese citizens to fill some of the empty seats.

However, I do commend the Chinese for using full advantage of their "home ground" or "home-court" advantage of securing a tremendous amount of medals. Yet, there were several events, especially the judged ones, where a bit of controversy came into play. There was also some controversy to the amount of rough play (e.g. the Chinese men's soccer game against Belgium, in which a ton of players were booked), and incessant booing of other countries; especially Japan and Korea.

I'm fairly certain that London will be able to stage a much more civilized and more well-deserved Olympics in 2012. Good luck to you London!
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movieguyAug. 25, 2008 - 06:33PM JST

Good additions, LSteven... I'm really looking forward to Vancouver and London.

What makes me so frustrated about Rogge and the IOC is when they claim that it's sport and politics are not to play a part, but we all know that the Olympics are NOTHING but about politics and business.
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tclhAug. 25, 2008 - 07:28PM JST

"There are issues that London will not be able to equal", agree 1,000%. It is absolutely impossible for London to throw people out of their houses and build Olympic facilities on those lands! Anyway Chinese people had sacrificed( willing or unwilling) so much to stage such a magnificient Olympic; I feel like to say 'Thank You" to China.
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rajakumarAug. 26, 2008 - 02:06AM JST

China needed to open up as world's biggest economy.

2008 olympics was good for 203 nations as well for china. There was mutual benefit for all 204 nations.