London to match Beijing Games standards

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Kipchoge Keino said the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have a great deal to do to match or surpass the standards of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Keino, who is the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee-Kenya and will also lead the Kenyan delegation to the London Games, said in Nairobi on Wednesday during the launch of the London 2012 Olympics Management Committee that the Beijing Games were the best ever and London 2012 must work extra hard to meet the standards that were set by the Chinese.

"Beijing raised the bar so high, thereby putting London in a precarious position to meet or surpass the standards of the last Olympics, though I believe the organising committee of London 2012 will put up a good show."

Keino said the parameters of a successful Olympics are determined by the opening ceremony, officiating, security, management, transport and hospitality among others - an achievement he said Beijing met sufficiently.

"The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games must denote the culture of the host country and going by the depth of the Chinese culture, Beijing accomplished this feat satisfactorily," he said.

"The organizational capability of the Beijing Games was more than excellent, with good roads devoid of congestion due to an Olympic lane that was established to avoid obstruction."

Keino, who is a veteran of many Olympic Games both as an athlete and official, described the Chinese as very friendly and accommodating people whose hospitality helped to make the games the success they were.

He said the full Kenyan contingent to the Games will be named in April after all the disciplines to be represented conclude their qualifiers and expressed his confidence that those chosen will work

extra hard to make the country proud at the Olympics.

"It is a challenging task with strict deadlines and I want to wish the Management Committee best of luck in their work."

The 2008 Beijing Olympics Games have formed a lasting memory in the minds of many Kenyans because of the sterling performance the Olympic team displayed where the country amassed an impressive haul of 14 medals, five gold, five silver and four bronze to become Kenya' s best Olympic outing ever.

The seemingly lasting impression that was formed in the minds of the Beijing Games athletics team manager Joseph Kinyua and his deputy David Kilundo might take rather long to erase, if at all.

Kinyua praised the excellent transport system which ensured that the Kenyan team got to the training and competition venues on time as a factor that contributed positively to the team's exemplary performance.

"During the opening ceremony, there were over one thousand buses which were used to transport athletes and officials to the venue and back," he said.

"The security arrangements left no doubt in anyone' s mind and people moved freely knowing their safety was guaranteed."

He said the variety in the culinary accorded the athletes and officials a chance to sample cooking from different parts of the world, which added to the Chinese adventure.

Kilundo said the success of the Beijing Games can be confirmed by the attendance, both at the venues of the games and the 204 out of the 205 IOC members that participated in the games.