On 24 March 2005 Liu Peng, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, met with Robert Ctvrtlik, member of the International Olympic Committee in the United States and member of the IOC Athletes Commission, at the GASC headquarters in Beijing.
Liu Peng extended a warm welcome to Ctvrtlik, who is former captain of the US men's volleyball team. Liu told his guests that his predecessor Yuan Weimin is also a volleyball player-turned sports administrator, and that the national volleyball teams in the two countries could learn from each other.
Liu noted the impressive performance given by the US athletes at the Athens Olympic Games and said China still lags behind the world's strong contingents including the United States, especially in athletics, swimming and water sports.
Liu also gave a brief account of Beijing's preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games, saying that by the end of March the GASC would set up competition committees for all the 28 Olympic sports.
The US IOC member was surprised at Liu Peng's knowledge of the Olympic Movement despite the fact that he had just assumed office as the GASC chief last December. He expressed his belief that Chinese Olympians will be able to achieve very good results at Beijing 2008. While congratulating the Chinese athletes on their victories at the recent World Championships for speed skating and aerials skiing, he wished Chinese athletes good luck at Turin Winter Olympics in the coming year.
At the end of the meeting the IOC member kindly suggested to his Chinese hosts that China should attach more importance to the training of more sports experts, who speak some foreign languages and know sports organization and competition. He himself would be happy to provide such help if necessary, he added.
Present at the meeting was COC Secretary-General Gu Yaoming. | |