Athletes, officials won over by facilities

By Ji Yuan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-20 10:11

The Olympic Sports Center in Jinan, the main venue of the 11th National Games. Ju Chuanjiang

If first impressions count, the 11th National Games are off to a good start with the event's competitors said to be hugely impressed by the venues offer in east China's Shandong province.

Commenting on the work that has gone into ensuring the success of the games, Huang Sheng, the vice-governor of Shandong, said: "As part of our preparations for the 11th National Games, we renovated 85 existing venues and built 44 new ones. We believe these facilities are now first class."

Initial construction work began in 2005 with all the venues being completed by May this year. To meet the demand of the event, 129 venues were constructed in 17 areas of the province, including 64 competition stadiums and 65 training venues. Among these venues, 44 were newly built and 85 were renovated.

The venues are said to be of innovative design and are set to become landmarks in their host cities.

Nine Jinan-based venues have been either renovated or newly built for the National Games. According to Yin Luqian, deputy director of the Jinan Organizing Committee for the National Games, a number of new projects, including the Athlete's Village, the Media Village and the Olympic Sports Hotel have all been completed and put into operation.

He said: " In Jinan we built China's first National Games Village. This will house all the participating athletes, as well as the officials and the athletic trainers. Some 11,500 bedrooms, with three-star hotel standards, have been prepared."

As an important venue for the Games, the Jinan Olympic Sports Center staged the opening ceremony. The natatorium, tennis stadium and gymnasium in the east together resemble the shape of a blooming lotus, whilst the Olympic Sports Center Stadium in the west has been designed in the image of two willow leaves.

Alternative energy sources and innovative technology have been employed in the construction of the venues in a bid to ensure their green credentials.

As part of this eco-friendly initiative, the beautiful Jinan Olympic Sports Center has been equipped with a unique external sunshade system, which can save on the energy used for air-conditioning.

The amount of steel required for the Jinan venues was reduced by 50 percent thanks to the use of advanced roofing technology.

Similar environmental concerns were shown in the construction of the Jinan Olympic Sports Center Natatorium and Tennis Stadium, where a solar energy heated water system was installed, together with a ground sourced heating and air conditioning system.

The Deputy Director of Beijing Municipal Sport Bureau Wang Zhongshan said: "More than 200 new energy-friendly buses will make their debut at the Games, representing an energy saving capacity of some 25 percent compared to conventional vehicles.

"After the Games, the venues will cater to the needs of other sporting events. Most venues will be turned into sports stadiums for local cities and, with 70 percent of the venues located near universities. Many will serve as sports centers for students."

(China Daily 10/20/2009 page24)