Olympic expert brought onboard

An expert in the Olympic Games was awarded $53,000 to explore the possibility of Guam and the CNMI being certified as a training ground for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Public information officer Peter Callaghan said Gov. Juan N. Babauta awarded the $53,000 grant provided by the Office of the Insular Affairs to Bill Tucker, who is reportedly a member of the U.S. Olympic Games committee.

The expert will be in the CNMI and Guam to conduct a study on the potential of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as training areas when participants rev up for the 2008 summer Olympics.

If certified, the CNMI and Guam stand to benefit from the number of participants joining the Olympic Games in 2008. Countries would be sending teams of athletes to compete in different sports divisions, including baseball, basketball, boxing, canoe/kayak, football, rowing, sailing, volleyball, wrestling, among other athletics and outdoor games.

Babauta signed the grant Wednesday to finance the study that would determine if the Marianas has the appropriate training and sporting facilities that can be availed of by the Olympics participants.

Callaghan explained the study would also include hotel accommodations, sports complex, and the whole atmosphere of the territories. Also, the specialist is expected to come up with recommendations and improvements on how the two islands can be certified as training ground for the athletes.

He pointed out that the CNMI has a new track, an Olympic-size swimming pool, and Rota has golf and tennis facilities. Even Tinian has ample space for outdoor sports, while the entire CNMI is surrounded by water that could be used for water-related sports events.

Callaghan said officials of both Guam and the CNMI are hoping to get the accreditation since being certified as a training ground for Olympic athletes would give both islands an additional boost.

The International Olympic Committee selected Beijing in July 2001 to host the 2008 Olympic Games. As host, the city of Beijing is expected to benefit considerably from the massive investment spending in the pipeline and the numerous job opportunities it will create.

The Beijing municipal government has already announced an ambitious plan to spend $20 billion in the next seven years to modernize the city’s infrastructure. This translates into an average annual spending of about $3 billion, which is equivalent to 10 percent of the city’s GDP in 2000. The sum will be spent on developing sports facilities, public transportation, and communication networks.

The hosting of the sporting event will also expose China to greater international scrutiny and foster better understanding about the country. Through engaging China closer with the wider world, the Olympic Games will help strengthen the forces of liberalism in the country and hasten the pace of social change.