China's centurial Olympic dream comes true

By Zhang Yashi and Wang Jingzhong

HONG KONG, July 22 (Xinhua) -- "China's Olympic dream has come true after waiting for a hundred years. Hong Kong, as a co-host city, is most joyful sharing the happiness," said Timothy Fok, President of Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Seven years ago, Fok witnessed the moment when Beijing was announced the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games during the 112th International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Moscow.

Since China possesses one-fifth of the world's young people population, Fok said that the Games to be held in Beijing can allow the Olympic spirit to spread even wider.

"I'm expecting to hear the IOC President Jacques Rogge to announce at the closing ceremony that the Games in Beijing and the equestrian event in Hong Kong are most successful throughout the Olympic history," he said.

Helping out Hong Kong athletes to prepare for the Beijing Olympic Games, ensuring the equestrian events to be smoothly held, and canvassing for Hong Kong to become the host city of the IOC session in year 2011 are Fok's priorities at the moment.

Hong Kong is sending out 35 athletes to Beijing to participate in 11 sports including cycling, table tennis, windsurfing, swimming, track and field, equestrian, fencing, badminton, shooting, rowing and triathlon.

When asked if they have set any goals of gaining medals, Fok said that the athletes are in high morale and their preparations are fine, but he would not put too much pressure on them, because they are facing strong competitors from the mainland who also do well in sports like cycling, badminton and table tennis.

Fok was in full confidence when talked about the equestrian events in Hong Kong.

"We had only three years to prepare for the events when the IOC authorized Hong Kong as the co-host city," Fok told that the Central Government, Hong Kong Special Administrative Government, Hong Kong Jockey club, sports sections and corporations have given much support to the event.

Hong Kong has already set up world-class equestrian competition venues, stables and epidemic prevention system, such as the first-ever indoor air-conditioned training arena and well-equipped six-star stables, which were all highly appraised by the IOC.

Earlier this month, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and the IOC reaffirmed their partnership in promoting Olympics during an official ceremony at Lausanne, Switzerland. On the occasion, Rogge joked with Fok saying that, "You don't have to reserve a hotel room for me when I come to Hong Kong, just arrange a stable will do."

Last year, there were heavy rainstorms in Hong Kong during the equestrian test event. But eventually, everything went smooth. "Our confidence has been strengthened with such experience," Fok said.

As the eldest son of Henry Fok, a famous late patriotic businessman in Hong Kong, Fok inherited his father's passion in promoting sports in China. In 2001, Fok became the first IOC member in Hong Kong and he then started to help China compete for the holding the Olympic Games.

Fok believed that by co-hosting the equestrian events, not only the international world will see the change of Hong Kong after its return to the motherland, but Hong Kong's position as an international city will also be consolidated, so as people's unity, confidence and national identity.

When asked how the preparation of Equestrian events was getting on, Fok answered for certain, "We are ready!"