Hosting the Olympic Games again would be great Joe Thuney Patriots Jersey , but proceed with caution, sports experts warned as Beijing announced its ambition to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Five years after the spectacular 2008 Summer Olympics, the Chinese Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday that Beijing and the nearby city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province will launch a joint bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
If the bid is successful, Beijing will become the first city in the world to host both the Summer and Winter Games.
However, pundits suggest the government should tread carefully.
"It will be a huge challenge, as Beijing is not an internationally recognized winter sports destination," said Zhang Qing, CEO of sports marketing and consulting company Key-Sports.
"Without the natural conditions and winter game infrastructure that cities in northeastern China have, Beijing won’t be a competent candidate, even with the great Olympic legacy of the 2008 Games."
Zhangjiakou is about 203 kilometers northwest of Beijing. It boasts long winters with six months of snow and has emerged as a winter tourism spot in northern China. An intercity railway line has been planned to connect the city with Beijing, reducing travel time between the two locations to around 40 minutes.
Nov 14 is the deadline for submission of bids to the IOC.
China has bid previously for the Winter Olympics. The northeast city of Harbin failed to make the short list of finalists in the race for the 2010 Winter Games, which went to Vancouver.
Almaty, Kazakhstan, has already officially lodged a 2022 bid. Other potential contenders include Oslo, Norway; Munich; Lviv, Ukraine; and a joint bid from Poland and Slovakia. Barcelona has decided not to bid.
The IOC will select the 2022 host city in 2015.
The chances of Asia getting the games in 2022 would seem remote, as Pyeongchang, South Korea, will host the 2018 Winter Games and Tokyo will stage the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Some experts are already identifying potential hurdles down the road.
Lin Xianpeng, a sports industry professor at Beijing Sport University, said that the general public might be suspicious of the plan in light of increased scrutiny of government spending and the current official drive to cut back on extravagant celebrations on the part of officials.
"People overdosed on Olympic passion in 2008, and I doubt whether the public will feel as much enthusiasm as they did for the last Games in Beijing. The expectation that the Olympic influence will boost the sports industry and public fitness levels is also lower," said Lin.
by Riley Beveridge
CANBERRA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia has helped bringing due attention to this often-neglected partnership between the two countries.
Indeed, Modi's speech to the Australian parliament in Canberra, in addition to public appearances in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (where he happened, funnily enough, to find time for a visit to the Melbourne Cricket Ground) have helped - in one commentator's view to "turbocharge" the Australia-India relationship.
Modi, one of India's most popular and statesmanlike modern leaders, went out of his way to praise Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the nation itself, saying Australia was "no longer on the periphery of our region but at the heart of our thoughts."
Making a commitment to this bold, new relationship, both Modi and Abbott said all the right things. Modi praised Australia's " immense beauty" and "great quality of life," while Abbott described his Indian counterpart as "like a brother."
In a joint statement with Abbott, Modi invited Australia to help India reach its goal of global prosperity. The pair spoke of increased cooperation in several key areas, including mining investments, clean coal technology, countering terrorism, extending defense cooperation and important extensions to education links.
Both promised to work on improving trade relations, recognizing "the untapped potential in both directions."
Modi has pushed for an increased partnership between Australia and India in an historic speech to Australia's parliament on Tuesday morning.
He became the third world leader, behind British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to address the Australian parliament after last weekend's Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Brisbane.
It was also the first time in 28 years that an Indian leader has publicly addressed Australia's federal politicians, and the 64- year-old used the opportunity to suggest both countries can benefit from working together.
"Australia has immense opportunities to participate in India's progress," Modi told Australia's politicians. "In turn, India will be the answer to your search for new economic opportunities and your desires to diversify your global economic engagement."
"India's development, demographic and demand provide a unique long-term opportunity for Australia and all in the framework of democracy. There is no other example of this nature in the world."
Beyond Canberra, the reception Modi received upon his travels throughout the country ensured that no one would be forgetting India's influence on Australian shores any time soon.
Greeted by a sell-out crowd of 15,000 people for an early morning speech at Sydney's Olympic Park, it was clear to see the popularity of the 64-year-old, who is believed by many as a modernist who stands for good governance and economic growth.
"He is one that is giving us the change," a supporter said at one of Modi's numerous public addresses. "He is the change."
What's more, the unique demographic and demand of India's booming population presents Australia with a golden opportunity.
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