The Beijing Games is "important" as a sign that the Olympic movement is being internationalized and embraces "all the continents of the rings of the Olympic symbol", the Chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA), Colin Moynihan, said in Macao in a recent interview with Xinhua.
The UK Olympic chief pointed out that in the 21st century, the internationalization of the Olympic Games will become increasingly a challenge for the IOC (International Olympic Committee).
"I think what we saw in the 20th century, with one or two exceptions like so, was what I called a Europe-centric, either an American or European, Games. What Rogge (IOC president) has decided to do is to internationalize the Games, and that is why it's so important the Games is coming to Beijing," he said.
He also said he believed it would not be too long before the Games goes to India and countries in Africa.
London is hosting the 2012 Games. Currently, well over 100 staff from the BOA were working alongside their counterparts from the BOCOG (Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad), in a bid to gain relevant experiences through the process of preparing and running the event.
"I could write a book of 600 pages of things that we could learn from Beijing. The people of BOCOG and the Beijing government are being very friendly and very welcoming. They have allowed us to work alongside them in the whole of this process, understand how they are preparing for the Games, and how they would deliver the Games," said Moynihan, adding "their professionalism is being something which we very highly valued."
The 53-year-old BOA chief was an Olympic cox for the Great Britain men's eight rowing squad in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, earning a silver medal. He was also the minister for sport in the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher from 1987 to 1990.
As a man who devoted much of his life to sport, the hosting of an Olympic Games is "a once in a life time opportunity for many of us involved with the Games".
He said to prepare for the Games is "an upheaval", which is "a huge task for a city", and every aspect, including infrastructure, security, facilities, getting the hundreds of thousands of volunteers trained and supported, must be attended to.
Therefore, despite some inconvenience brought into the daily lives of residents in Beijing during the preparing and running of the event, "I am sure the enthusiasm of the Chinese people will radiate through and I think the enthusiasm of the people of London will be the similar level of excitement in 2012," he said.
"But it is a major challenge and a very big task, and that is why we are working so hard at the moment. So, of course, it is understandable as it has a wide reaching impact on Beijing. It will have a wide reaching impact on London," Moynihan also noted.
As for the air quality of Beijing which has been the focus of recent media report, Moynihan said that he believes the Chinese authorities "have been remarkable in their commitment to improve the air quality for the athletes".
"They have taken a series of measures at different times, including the closure of some of the most polluting factories, the reduction of cars on the roads, taking measures with regard to the timing of construction built in Beijing. All of these, I am sure, will benefit the air quality. Ultimately, it is nature that determines on whether there is wind, sunshine or rain...But we have seen in recent days a very considerable improvement," Moynihan pointed out.
He also said that the pollution issue is just part of the challenges a host city of the Games will encounter.
"Every Olympic Games has an issue. In Athens, the issue was would the facilities be finished on time? Would the security of the facilities be strong enough...Here everything was finished ahead of time. The qualities of the facilities are magnificent. The athletes who have arrived at the Olympic village are stunned by how outstanding it is," said Moynihan.
"I am sure BOCOG will put on a great Games, But it would be impossible for everything to be perfect. We are all human beings and, in this case, the challenge of pollution is a significant one, one that the government, BOCOG and the IOC are doing everything they can to mitigate," he added.