PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias has said that the Beijing Olympics will be the best in modern times.
In an interview with Chinese government press agency Xinhua, prior to his scheduled attendance at the opening ceremony on Friday, Chritofias said: “I have no doubt whatsoever that China, a country distinguished by its incomparable culture and history, is fully prepared to host the greatest sports gathering in the world.”
He added that the Olympic facilities constitute “resounding proof” of Beijing’s preparations.
He described the Olympic Games as always having been, “a supreme call on all the races of the earth for truce, peace and fraternisation.
“Civilised mankind has a duty to uphold, keep alive and spread these time-honoured ideals and relay the torch of the Olympic ideal to future generations.”
He noted that political expediencies cannot and should not be allowed to interfere with the Games, as “this is a direct contradiction of the lofty aims of the fathers of the modern Olympics.”
He added: “Of course the best reply to all those who attempted to smear China’s great effort to host the Olympics will come at the end of the Games and I am convinced that the Beijing Olympics will be the best in modern times.”
On Monday, one of Beijing’s Heart-to-Heart schools welcomed a team of guests from Cyprus, the first group of Olympic delegations to visit their partnered school under the Olympic education programme.
Alecos Spanos, chef de mission of the Cyprus Olympic delegation, headed a four-member group to the Zhongguancun No. 4 Primary School, located in the heart of China’s Silicon Valley Zhongguancun, in the Haidian District of Beijing.
“The passion of the students is evident and we can see that the children are well educated and passionate about the Olympic spirit,” he said.
Students under the age of 11 guided their guests to the library, classrooms and playground, and danced and sang, before having table tennis matches with the guests.
“I’m enthusiastic about the Heart-to-Heart activities,” said Deng Ruilin, a fifth grade student. “I had no idea about a country named Cyprus before joining the programme, and now I dare to say that I’m an expert and know nearly everything about this European country.”
A group of teachers and students from the school will visit the Olympic Village on Saturday to meet Cypriot athletes as a further extension of the exchange visit.
More than 200 primary and secondary schools in Beijing are being partnered with 205 members of the International Olympic Committee and 160 Paralympic members.
The Heart-to-Heart Programme aims to promote Olympic spirit, deepen mutual understandings and strengthen the friendship between the children of China and those across the world.
Yesterday, it was announced that Chairman of the Cyprus Shooting Sport Federation Demetris Lordos, is in Beijing to undertake duties as chairman of the Jury in Trap, Double Trap and Skeet
Lordos was also chairman of the Jury at the Athens Games in 2004.
A statement by the Cyprus Shooting Sport Federation noted that Lordos’ appointment for the second time to the position, as well as his and other CSSF officials’ appointments in various posts at shooting events, is proof of the island’s shooting pedigree in the international sports arena.
