Martin Li
THERE was no official confirmation by press time of a reported change of venue for the opening ceremony of the 2011 Universiade.
According to a report in Thursday s Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily, Shenzhen was considering holding the opening ceremony at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center instead of the Universiade Stadium in Longgang District.
However, Shi Gang, director of the Games executive office of the opening and closing ceremonies department, refused to comment on the report to the Shenzhen Daily on Thursday.
Preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies have been going smoothly, Shi said.
Ying Shihong, vice director of the executive office publicity department, said an official announcement would be made if there was a change of venue.
The idea of a possible change was inspired by the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, which were held in central Guangzhou s new urban area and featured an innovative use of water elements, the paper quoted an unidentified source within the executive office as saying.
The location of the Asian Games helped show the city of Guangzhou to the world through the Games, which Shenzhen wants to emulate.
However, the designated venue in Longgang District is surrounded by undeveloped land while Shenzhen Bay Sports Center is located in developed Nanshan District, which is connected with Hong Kong by a cross-sea bridge.
Dubbed the Spring Cocoon, the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center includes a stadium, a gymnasium, a swimming pool and a theme park with other sports facilities.
There is a 100-meter-wide opening in the stadium giving spectators seaviews. The sports center was planned as the venue for the closing ceremony of the Games.
The opening and closing ceremonies department had been required to drop an existing plan and draft a new one for the opening ceremony at the sportscenter at Shenzhen Bay, the paper said, quoting unidentified department sources.
However, more than 10,000 athletes from all round the world will stay in an athletes village in Longgang and will have to be transported to Nanshan for the opening ceremony if there is a change.
It will also be a big challenge for the opening ceremony team to come up with a new idea with the Games just eight months away.
