A vibrant Olympic debut

A vibrant Olympic debut-

Assamese artist’s painting selected for the mega event

Guwahati, June 27: Assam will have a “colourful” presence in the Beijing Olympics.
A painting by city-based artist Utpal Barua — an associate professor in the department of design at IIT Guwahati — has been selected for Olympic Fine Arts, 2008, an exhibition which will run alongside the mega sporting event starting on August 8.
“It is a great honour for me as well as the state,” Barua said after receiving the information from the Beijing art committee.
Barua’s painting, A butterfly was passing by, will be among the works of nearly 300 other artists from around the globe, whose creations will feature at the exhibition.
After the Olympics, the painting will feature at international exhibitions to be held in different places of the world for two years.
“Subsequently, it will be kept permanently in the Olympic Fine Arts Museum at the Tai Miao Temple in Beijing,” Barua added.
His painting was selected from among thousands of artwork on the themes “Sports and Olympism” and “China, the World.”
For the artist, there will be other moments to remember too. He has been invited to attend the opening ceremony and will also be given an honorary certificate and a gold medal, besides a replica of the Olympic torch.
Barua said the acrylic painting was “an expression of the Olympic spirit through a butterfly which signifies hope and expectations.
The colours in the abstract painting signifies the Northeast.
“My painting is an inscape, a reflection of what an artist sees through the inner eye,” the artist added.
Barua will be the first artist from the region to take part in an Olympic event. Born in the north bank town of Tezpur, the 48-year-old artist has over 10 international exhibitions in cities like Birmingham, Ontario and Singapore, besides several others all over the country. His works are also among the exhibits at the National Academy of Art in New Delhi.
Besides his passion for playing with colours, Barua has also dabbled in films, having worked as the art director in the national award-winning film, Wosobipo, in 1990.
Barua will leave for China in the first week of August. The Olympic Games will run through September 17. Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080628/jsp/northeast/story_9472584.jsp

PSU gymnastics coach to compete in Olympics

PSU gymnastics coach to compete in Olympics

By Andrew J. Cassavell Collegian Staff Writer

Kevin Tan saw his childhood dream come to fruition Sunday, when he was named as one of six gymnasts who will represent the United States in this summer's Olympic Games.

The Penn State assistant men's gymnastics coach won back to back rings titles for the Nittany Lions in 2003 and 2004 and figures to be an important addition to a United States squad which earned the silver medal four years ago.

"He'll be [the USA's] top ring guy," said Penn State head coach Randy Jepson. "But he'll compete on Pommel Horse, parallel bar, and he'll probably be an alternate on High Bar."

The announcement was made Sunday after two days of Olympic qualification trials in Philadelphia, PA.

Joining Tan in Beijing, China August 8-24 will be brothers Paul and Morgan Hamm, Joey Haggerty, Jonathan Horton, and Justin Spring.

Tan, who is in his third season as assistant coach after graduating in 2004 will be the 17th Nittany Lion gymnast to represent the United States at the Olympics, but the first since 1976.
"It's something he's purposed his whole competitive career around," Jepson said. "It's great to see it all come together now."

PSU gymnastics coach to compete in Olympics

PSU gymnastics coach to compete in Olympics

By Andrew J. Cassavell Collegian Staff Writer

Kevin Tan saw his childhood dream come to fruition Sunday, when he was named as one of six gymnasts who will represent the United States in this summer's Olympic Games.

The Penn State assistant men's gymnastics coach won back to back rings titles for the Nittany Lions in 2003 and 2004 and figures to be an important addition to a United States squad which earned the silver medal four years ago.

"He'll be [the USA's] top ring guy," said Penn State head coach Randy Jepson. "But he'll compete on Pommel Horse, parallel bar, and he'll probably be an alternate on High Bar."

The announcement was made Sunday after two days of Olympic qualification trials in Philadelphia, PA.

Joining Tan in Beijing, China August 8-24 will be brothers Paul and Morgan Hamm, Joey Haggerty, Jonathan Horton, and Justin Spring.

Tan, who is in his third season as assistant coach after graduating in 2004 will be the 17th Nittany Lion gymnast to represent the United States at the Olympics, but the first since 1976.
"It's something he's purposed his whole competitive career around," Jepson said. "It's great to see it all come together now."

Sonia gets China invite to Olympics

14 Jun 2008, 0315 hrs IST, Bhaskar Roy ,TNN
NEW DELHI: Hardly two months before the Beijing Olympics, the top Chinese leadership has invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the Games in early August. Leaving behind the recent low in bilateral ties over border disputes, Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping has sent a personal invitation to Sonia to be in Beijing for the Games. During external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee's visit to China in early June, Jinping handed him a letter for the UPA chairperson inviting her to the Olympics. Jinping, tipped to be President Hu Jintao's successor, had a meeting with Mukherjee. Returning home, Mukherjee, according to Congress sources, personally delivered Jinping's letter to Sonia. However, it is not yet known whether the Congress president will visit Beijing during the Games. Despite sustained efforts by both sides, bilateral ties has run into bumps of late following Chinese claims over parts of Arunachal Pradesh and certain points on the Sikkim border. On its part, India too has used soft power and recalled the common cultural heritage to smoothen the relations. Mukherjee visited 97-year-old Sanskrit scholar Ji Xianlin in a Beijing hospital to confer the Padma Bhushan on him. Xianlin has translated the Ramayana into Chinese.

Third phase of Olympic ticket sales to begin in May

Third phase of Olympic ticket sales to begin in MayUpdated：2008-04-23

(BEIJING, April 23) -- BOCOG announced Wednesday the official dates of the third phase of Olympic ticket sales within the Chinese mainland. Between May 5 and June 9, interested persons may visit designated Bank of China ticket outlets or sign-up at the BOCOG Ticketing Center website to apply for tickets. Because the number of tickets allotted for Bank of China outlets during this phase of sales is lower than in phases one or two, fans are urged to phone the Ticketing Call Center for more information at +86 10 952008 or to visit the Beijing Olympic ticketing website, www.tickets.beijing2008.cn.

Like the first two phases, this third period of ticket sales is only open for individual sales; group sales are not permitted. Ticket purchasers must apply with valid identification (for more information, please visit the Beijing Olympic ticketing website). The purchase limit is 2 sessions per application and 3 tickets per session.

Unlike the first two phases, however, tickets sold during this phase will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Available tickets may be reserved for a limited period of time; however, if reserved tickets are not paid for in the allotted amount of time, they will be canceled and resold. Tickets for wheelchair seats for the Olympics can be attained through Gehua Ticketmaster Ticketing's customer service hotline.

According to BOCOG, 1.38 million tickets will be put on sale during this last phase, which include tickets for 17 disciplines in 16 sports for a total of 244 matches. These sports include athletics, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, flatwater canoe/kayak, mountain biking, equestrian, football, handball, field hockey, modern pentathlon, rowing, softball, marathon swimming, volleyball, and wrestling. For each event, barrier-free seat tickets will be available; about 20 thousand tickets in all are offered in this category.

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games -- Terms and Conditions of Ticket Sales and Use

Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games -- Terms and Conditions of Ticket Sales and Use

This is the complete version of the "Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games – Terms and Conditions of Ticket Sales and Use" (hereinafter "Terms and Conditions"). This complete version is available on the website at http://tickets.beijing2008.cn, at all venue box offices and in the "Spectator Guide for the Paralympic Games." The terms and conditions on the back of the Ticket constitute the simplified version of these Terms and Conditions. Please read this complete version carefully. Anyone who purchases, holds or uses a Ticket shall be deemed as having read, understood and accepted all Terms and Conditions.
1. Definitions
1.1 BOCOG means Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, including its officers, managers, employees, agents, assignees and volunteers.
1.2 Ceremony means the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
1.3 CPC means the Chinese Paralympic Committee, including its officers, managers, employees, agents, assignees, volunteers and the Chinese delegation to the Paralympic Games.
1.4 Event means any competition of the Paralympic Games for which Tickets are sold by BOCOG or third parties authorized by BOCOG.
1.5 IPC means the International Paralympics Committee.
1.6 Paralympic Games means the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games unless otherwise provided.
1.7 Session means the Ceremony and/or Events of the Paralympic Games.
1.8 Ticket is the ticket to a Session, including Day Pass unless otherwise provided.
1.9 Venues are all places where the Sessions are held.
1.10 You (or "you") means anyone who purchases, holds or uses a Ticket.
2. Details about the Tickets and Sessions
2.1 All spectators, regardless of age, must have a valid Ticket to enter a Venue. The only exception to this rule is described in clause 2.2 below.
2.2 Any child who is two years old or younger than two years old on the day of the Session can enter the Venue without a Ticket, provided that the child shares the same seat with the child's guardian, who holds a valid Ticket.
2.3 You must purchase a Ticket from BOCOG or third parties authorized by BOCOG. If you acquire a Ticket through unauthorized channels (i.e., other than through BOCOG or third parties authorized by BOCOG), you should assume the risk that such Ticket could be previously lost or missing, stolen, counterfeited, damaged, illegible or obtained through other illegal means. In such case, you may be refused entry into the Venue or be requested to leave the Venue without receiving a refund nor a substitution.
2.4 You cannot resell or trade your Ticket. You cannot use the Ticket for any political, religious, commercial, advertising or promotional purposes (for example, as prizes for competitions, etc.) without the prior written approval of BOCOG.
2.5 Tickets to the Ceremonies may only be transferred once. You must obtain the written approval of BOCOG before you transfer a Ceremony Ticket and you may only transfer the Ceremony Ticket in compliance with the transfer procedures announced by BOCOG. BOCOG shall assume no responsibility for any Ticket holder who is refused entry into a Venue without a refund because a Ceremony Ticket was transferred without complying with BOCOG's announced transfer procedures.
2.6 The Ticket holder of a Ceremony Ticket must be the original purchaser or a transferee approved by BOCOG.
2.7 BOCOG reserves the right to change the date, time, participants and other relevant details of all Sessions and BOCOG will give prior notice if reasonably able to do so.
2.8 BOCOG has the right to invalidate any Ticket for any reason at any time.
2.9 Please sit at your designated seat. If there is no seat number, please sit at the designated area after entering into the Venue. Except Day Pass, the Ticket is only good for one admission into a Venue. You will be prohibited from re-entering the Venue if you leave for any reason.
2.10 You can enter into any Venue in the Olympic Green to watch any non-high demand Session with a valid Day Pass, provided that BOCOG reserves the right to postpone your admission to a later time in the case of overflow, as determined by BOCOG in its sole and absolute discretion, and you will not be entitled to a refund nor substitution for your Day Pass.
One Day Pass is only good for one admission into the Olympic Green. You should show your Day Pass before entering any Venue. The Day Pass shall be valid only for the date specified on it. In case that part of the Events be changed or cancelled, you will not be entitled to a replacement or refund for your Day Pass.

Overseas spectators to get more tickets than previous Olympic Games

From：Xinhuanet
BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) will ensure that the number of Overseas ticket sales are arranged through local Olympic Games Committees or agencies in each nation or region.

So far, more than 180 committees have applied for tickets of this summer's Olympic Games, almost twice the number of applicants in the Athens Olympic Games, Rong said.
Many of the committees applied for several times more tickets than the tickets they got in the Athens Olympics, he said, adding that in the previous Olympics Games in 2004, only less than 100 committees made ticket application.

The BOCOG will not compulsively sell tickets of high-demand sessions and low-demand sessions together, as was the policy adopted in some previous Olympic Games, Rong said.
The BOCOG have fully taken into consideration strong and traditional sports of each nation and region in the allocation of overseas tickets, Rong said.

The BOCOG Ticketing Center is working on the second, or the last round of overseas tickets allocation. Amid high demand and limited number of tickets available, the BOCOG will have to communicate with the committees to make adjustments of their applications, he said.
Rong pointed out that, of the tickets allocated to overseas spectators, the ratio of high-demand and low-demand tickets is higher than that of the Athens Olympic Games.

Foreigners who work or study in China can buy tickets as Chinese citizens, through any designated Bank of China ticket outlets or the official ticketing website, Rong said.
For foreigners outside China, the only legal channel to buy tickets at this stage is to apply to the local Olympic Committees or agencies, he said, adding that during the Olympic Games, foreigners in China can also buy tickets in box offices around the venues.

Although the Olympic Games tickets cannot enable ticket holders to get visas, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will try to facilitate the visa process of ticket holders, Rong said.
So far, 4.5 million tickets, or around 65 percent of all the Beijing Olympic Games tickets, have been sold.

Beijing Olympics wheelchair-accessible seats still available

Beijing Olympics wheelchair-accessible seats still availableUpdated：2008-05-09
(BEIJING, May 9) -- Thursday was the third day of Phase 3 ticketing for the Beijing Olympics. All regular seating tickets to Olympic events taking place in Beijing and Hong Kong have been reserved; the only tickets remaining are for football events held outside of Beijing. According to Xinhua, representatives of BOCOG emphasized, however, that although these tickets have been reserved, this does not mean that they have been picked up. Therefore, there may be some tickets that will be sold at the door during the Games.
Wang Hui, director of the BOCOG media and communications department, explained that those that have reserved tickets have until May 14 to pay for them. Those tickets that have not been fully paid for will be leftover to be sold during the actual events in August and September.
In contrast to the frenzy over regular tickets for Olympic events, barrier-free seating is still available for many competitions, including the finals of track and field, women's volleyball, and other popular events.
Because wheelchair-accessible seats are relatively small in number compared to regular seats, those that wish to reserve the special tickets must call the ticketing hotline. Wheelchair-accessible ticket applicants have the opportunity to also apply for a companion ticket, which is the same as a regular seat. At present, over 20,000 barrier-free seating tickets are still available for 17 event sessions. These tickets must be paid for immediately via Visa card online, or within three days of reservation at participating Bank of China outlets.
During the Games, those holding companion tickets must attend the sporting event with holders of tickets for wheelchair-accessible seats.

Beijing Olympics wheelchair-accessible seats still available

Beijing Olympics wheelchair-accessible seats still availableUpdated：2008-05-09
(BEIJING, May 9) -- Thursday was the third day of Phase 3 ticketing for the Beijing Olympics. All regular seating tickets to Olympic events taking place in Beijing and Hong Kong have been reserved; the only tickets remaining are for football events held outside of Beijing. According to Xinhua, representatives of BOCOG emphasized, however, that although these tickets have been reserved, this does not mean that they have been picked up. Therefore, there may be some tickets that will be sold at the door during the Games.

Wang Hui, director of the BOCOG media and communications department, explained that those that have reserved tickets have until May 14 to pay for them. Those tickets that have not been fully paid for will be leftover to be sold during the actual events in August and September.
In contrast to the frenzy over regular tickets for Olympic events, barrier-free seating is still available for many competitions, including the finals of track and field, women's volleyball, and other popular events.
Because wheelchair-accessible seats are relatively small in number compared to regular seats, those that wish to reserve the special tickets must call the ticketing hotline. Wheelchair-accessible ticket applicants have the opportunity to also apply for a companion ticket, which is the same as a regular seat. At present, over 20,000 barrier-free seating tickets are still available for 17 event sessions. These tickets must be paid for immediately via Visa card online, or within three days of reservation at participating Bank of China outlets.
During the Games, those holding companion tickets must attend the sporting event with holders of tickets for wheelchair-accessible seats.

The third phase of ticket sales deadlines

The third phase of ticket sales deadlines

Updated：2008-05-10
(BEIJING, May 9) -- The third phase of ticket sales for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which began on May 5, captured the attention of sports fans worldwide. In order to facilitate the process of purchasing tickets for those that have already reserved them on the official website and have chosen to pay for them offline, the Beijing Olympics Ticketing Center has issued the following information:
Those that have successfully reserved tickets to the Olympics between May 5 and May 9 must go to a participating Bank of China outlet to pay for and retrieve their tickets by May 14.
Those that reserve tickets on or after May 10 on the official website must go to a participating Bank of China outlet to pay for and retrieve their tickets within three days of reservation.
Those tickets that have not been claimed before their respective deadlines will automatically be recycled to be resold.

Empty seats unlikely in Beijing Olympics

BEIJING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The empty seats that hurt the festive mood of the Athens Olympics won't be seen in Beijing when the Chinese capital hosts the 2008 Games.
The final batch of Olympic tickets for domestic spectators, previously expected to be sold out in 36 days, had been snapped up within two days.

A total of 1.38 million tickets for 16 sports, including boxing, soccer, volleyball and basketball, had been put on sale since last Monday both at Bank of China branches and on the official website.

Within two days, tickets for Beijing venues were sold out, only leaving some for the soccer tournament in co-host cities Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao.
An official with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) admitted that they had never expected these tickets to sell so fast.

People all over the country showed great enthusiasm in snapping up Olympic tickets. Thousands of people lined in long queues and waited outside Bank of China outlets.
A Beijing resident surnamed Liu said he had waited for four hours before getting tickets from the bank counter.

"I bought tickets for track and field finals. I want to see LiuXiang racing in the final," he said, referring to the Chinese Olympic champion and world record holder of 110 meters hurdles.
Wang Xudong, who purchased three tickets for women's soccer preliminary games, said it was a regret that he had not got the tickets for some hot games.

"Lucky for me that I have bought a ticket for the Olympics' opening ceremony and a few semifinal tickets," said Andy Lau, one of Chinese cinema's biggest stars, after he ran as the fourth torchbearer in the Hong Kong leg on May 2.

"But I feel a bit disappointed that I didn't have tickets for volleyball and diving, which are my favorite sports," he said.

"I finally get a ticket and my dream to watch the Beijing Olympic Games will come true," said Qu Zhen, a Tibetan University student, on the day when the tickets started to sell in Lhasa.
The online ticket sales went smoothly except for some small problems.

"We have made sufficient preparations for this time, including the tests of our network, our credit card operation and our system of the acceptance of purchase applications," said Xu Zheng, director of Olympic Affairs Office of Bank of China.

"The preparation work was done in a very careful way because we had lessons to learn from last year's experience."

The online system collapsed due to overwhelming demand hours after the second round of sales started last November, forcing organizers to revert to a lottery system.

"Through the ticket sales, we feel once again the passion of all the people home and abroad and their support for the Olympic Games," said Wang Hui, director of the media and communications department of the BOCOG.

However, the third and final round sale did not mean all the tickets had been sold out, said Wang. It just meant the ticket booking had ended, and people who had not got the tickets still had chance, she added.

After three rounds of ticket sales, some tickets will likely be available at ticket booths around sports venues during the Games, said an official from the ticketing department of the BOCOG.

Ticket demand overseas keeps rising

Ticket demand overseas keeps rising One World, One Dream is the theme of the Beijing Games - and if overseas ticket demand is any indicator, the whole world wants to be in Beijing for the Games to live their dream.
Beijing Games organizers have said that they are "still trying to dig out resources for tickets so as to satisfy demand worldwide".
"Olympic tickets are 'hot' and the enthusiasm is very high," said Zhu Yan, director of Beijing Olympic Ticketing Center.
"Overseas demand was taken fully into consideration in ticket sales, and we are still trying to provide more," he added.
About 6.8 million tickets are available for sale for the Beijing Games and it is estimated that 75 percent of those will be for the domestic market.
Overseas tickets are handed over to the national or regional Olympic committees (NOCs) and most of them appoint ticket agents to deal with sales.
In Finland, for example, all the 10,000 tickets allocated have been sold out. Officials there are asking for more.
"The number of tickets we allocated for the NOCs is much more than that in previous Games," said Zhu. "The allocation strictly followed the rules of the International Olympic Committee and we have tried our best to meet the needs of all the NOCs.

"But since their demand is still on the rise, we will continue to discuss with them and balance the requirements of all sides."
Zhu said it is hard to put a figure on the exact number of tickets sold outside the Chinese mainland because sales are still under way.
On the Chinese mainland, the third and the final round of ticket sales start next month. About 1.38 million tickets will be on offer from May 5 to June 9.
Tickets for 244 events in 16 disciplines are available at Bank of China outlets or on the official ticketing website on a "first come, first served" basis.
People are allowed to buy a maximum of six tickets at one time, three each for two sessions.
Overwhelming demand caused the computer system to crash just a few hours after the second sales phase started six months ago, forcing organizers to revert to a lottery system.
But Zhu reassured people that thousands of tickets are available for most of the events, and urged them not to rush. The system has been fixed and there will be no repeat of the chaos in the previous round, he said.

"The system has been optimized and updated and it is being tested right now," Zhu said last week. "I am confident that the system will meet the requirements of customers."
People who paid for the tickets through the website can get their tickets printed anytime during the third phase and those who paid at Bank of China outlets can get tickets on site.
The first stage of the domestic sales was conducted from April to June last year, with some 1.6 million tickets, including all the tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, allocated by lottery.
The second stage was launched last October but was suspended until December. About 1.8 million tickets were sold.
Ticket delivery for the buyers in the first two stages is planned to start in June.

Overview of Nanning

Located in southwestern China, Nanning is the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which borders Vietnam. It has a total area of over 22,600 sq. km. and a total population of over six million.

The city is a very good place to live; it even won the 2007 UN Habitat Scroll of Honor Award. With trees covering about 40% of its land, the city has an abundance of fresh air and a beautiful environment.

Torch Relay's Nanning leg ends

(NANNING, June 7) -- Chen Wenzhong proudly carried the Olympic torch shortly after noon on Saturday as he ran into the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, where the flame was used to light the cauldron and mark the end of the Torch Relay in Nanning.

Chen, a sprinter and a Nanning native, was the last of 208 torchbearers who took part in the 16.5-km relay, which started at 9:15 a.m. with Wu Shude, a 1984 Olympic weightlifting gold medalist, running the first leg.

Mainly along Minzu Avenue, the relay route was planned with two considerations. First, as this year's National College Entrance Exam is being administered this weekend, organizers wanted to minimize the disturbance to students. Second, the chosen route contains several of the city's landmarks, including the South Lake, Wuxiang Square and the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center.

The Torch Relay will move on to Baise, Guangxi Province next.