Beijing 2008 To Avoid “White Elephants”

China Daily reports that Beijing is working on ways to avoid the “white elephant” effect that has damaged the Olympic legacy in Athens.

Li Jinkang, vice director of the Beijing Sport Bureau, told China Daily “we will do our best to capitalize on hosting the 2008 Games and not repeat the waste of Olympic legacy in Athens. The government has invested so much money in the Games so we cannot let the stadiums become debts. We want to deliver a lasting legacy to the city. The use of stadiums in the post-Olympic period is already at the top of our agenda”.

Beijing has announced a three-year 500 million yuan budget to ensure the 12 new and 11 refurbished sports venues will not lie empty after the Games.

The budget following the Games is the biggest ever in Beijing sports history, but officials said discussions about how exactly it would be spent are ongoing.

Li said, “we have yet to reach an agreement how to spend it, but the goal is clear we want to build Beijing into China’s sporting centre. I think one important part is to host top international events as this is the best way to make good use of the Olympic venues. Also, we will focus on developing grassroots sports in rural areas of the municipality to promote sports development as a whole”.

The newspaper said events on Beijing’s sporting calendar include top tennis and snooker competitions.

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