IOC President Bach: Only in China can 300 million people participate in ice and snow sports
Beijing, February 3 (China News Service) Title: International Olympic Committee President Bach: Only in China can 300 million people participate in ice and snow sports
China News Service reporter Xing Chong
The main press conference hall of the main media center of the Beijing Winter Olympics has a poetic name - Lichun Hall. When he learned that this was a rather allegorical name, IOC President Bach could not help but sigh.
The 4th is the opening day of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, and it is also the traditional Chinese festival of spring. Over the past two years or so, the international Olympic movement has been greatly affected by the epidemic, and Bach once said that humanity is like moving forward in a dark tunnel. And now, a spring and a grand event will come at the same time.
"I am very grateful to the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee and the Chinese people for their firm support in the preparation process of the Winter Olympics, and I am very touched." Bach said movingly.
Since arriving in China on January 22, Bach's itinerary has been filled, not only leaving footprints in many venues, but also "the first time in China to celebrate the Spring Festival": he holds the blessing character to send blessings to the Chinese people and visits the Service Support Personnel of the Winter Olympics. He said the Winter Olympics and Spring Festival are a perfect combination, "there is nothing better than starting the Year of the Tiger with the Winter Olympics."
What touched Bach's heart even more was that he really felt the enthusiasm of "300 million people participating in ice and snow sports" after he went to China. "Bringing 300 million people to ice and snow sports" is a vision that China put forward when it bid to host the Winter Olympics, and it has long been a reality. According to the data, as of October last year, the number of participants in ice and snow sports in China reached 346 million.
Bach said he noticed that all sectors of Chinese society welcomed the Winter Olympics in different forms, such as more than 1 million Chinese applying to volunteer for the Winter Olympics, thousands of schools teaching ice and snow sports, teaching Olympic values, and even skiing children are popular on social networks. So it wasn't surprising when he learned that China had achieved that goal ahead of schedule. "Because only in China can such a grand goal be achieved."
Mass participation is about the future of sport. As an important component of the Olympic movement, winter sports are far less popular worldwide than summer sports. Bach once said that China's "300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports" is expected to change the world's future winter sports map.
Now that vision is a reality, Bach said, "ushering in a new era, not only for China's ice and snow sports, but also for global ice and snow sports." For example, he said, the output value of China's ice and snow sports industry is expected to reach 155 billion US dollars by 2025, and some traditional ice and snow countries that are serving the Beijing Winter Olympics will continue to benefit from this event in the future.
The Beijing Winter Olympics is the first Winter Olympics after "more unity" joined the Olympic motto. Under the epidemic situation, the Beijing Winter Olympics were held as scheduled, and Bach said that Behind this, China and the Chinese people have made great contributions, and it has also highlighted the meaning of "more unity".
Bach said that from the perspective of sports, athletes have overcome various difficulties and met under the Olympic banner, which in itself shows a more united spirit; the epidemic is a common challenge facing everyone, the Beijing Winter Olympics implemented strict closed-loop management, and Olympic-related personnel strictly abide by epidemic prevention regulations to ensure the efficient operation of closed-loop management.
The theme slogan of the Beijing Winter Olympics is "Together to the Future". Bach said that the Beijing Winter Olympics will open on the 4th, and Beijing will become the world's first "double Olympic city" that has hosted both the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games. "Tomorrow night, we will make history with China." (End)
Source: China News Network
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