Sat, Nov 13 10 05:07 PM
Guangzhou, Nov 13 (PTI) Lavishing praise on the Asian Games opening ceremony here, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge today described it as "absolutely fantastic". "I think it was an absolutely fantastic opening ceremony. It was technically very sound. There were a lot of emotions, a lot of startling beauties," said Rogge, who attended the ceremony yesterday on Haixinsha Island along the Pearl River. It was for the first time in the history of sports that the ceremony was not held inside a stadium. "I very much liked the activities using the water and using the river and also the backdrop of the city behind the scene. It was very nice," added the IOC chief. However, when Rogge was asked to compare the the opening ceremony of the Asian Games to that of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he said, "It''s like you ask a father to compare his children. "You cannot compare different opening ceremonies. You cannot compare Guangzhou with Beijing, you cannot compare Guangzhou with other cities. Let me just say, this is a unique and good opening ceremony." Guangzhou is the second Chinese city to host the Asian Games after Beijing that hosted it in 1990 and there are talks about its readiness to conduct Olympics as well in the near future. "Guangzhou definitely has the skill to do that," said Rogge. "Guangzhou would have the expertise and experience from these Games. Whether it will become an Olympic city, it''s something that will depend on my Chinese friends, not on me," he added. Rogge also expressed his confidence about hosting a successful Asian Games. "I think it''s going to be a very good. Like always, you can only judge the organisation after the last day of the event but I am very confident of a good show because I know my Chinese friends are masters of organising major events, and definitely, sports events," he said.
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