Babauta signs $53K grant for Beijing Olympics study

Gov. Juan N. Babauta accepted a $53,000 grant yesterday that would be used to hire a specialist who would evaluate whether Guam and Rota could be used as training sites for the participants in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The grant, funded by the Office of Insular Affairs, would finance the study that would determine if Guam and the Northern Marianas have appropriate training and sporting facilities that can be availed of by the Olympics participants.

According to public information officer Peter Callaghan, the study would also include hotel accommodations, sports complex, and the whole atmosphere of the territories. Also, the specialist is expected to come up with recommendations and improvements on how the two islands can be certified as training grounds for the athletes.

“If the study is completed and we have the facilities and other aspects needed, we would submit it to the International Olympics body so that we could be certified. We need to get the certification and I believe that Guam and the CNMI have the advantage because of our two-hour time zone difference,” said Callaghan.

He pointed out that the CNMI has recently completed a new track, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, and Rota has golf and tennis facilities. Even Tinian has ample space for other outdoor sports while the entire CNMI is surrounded by water that could be used for water-related sports events.

Callaghan said that officials of both Guam and the CNMI are hoping to get the accreditation since being certified as a training ground for Olympics athletes would give both islands an additional boost.

The International Olympic Committee selected Beijing in July 2001 to host the 2008 Olympic Games. As host, the city of Beijing is expected to benefit considerably from the massive investment spending in the pipeline and the numerous job opportunities it will create.

The Beijing municipal government has already announced an ambitious plan to spend $20 billion in the next seven years to modernize the city’s infrastructure. This translates into an average annual spending of about $3 billion, which is equivalent to 10 percent of the city’s GDP in 2000. The sum will be spent on developing sports facilities, public transportation, and communication networks.

Apart from the infrastructure spending, a further $12 billion will be ploughed into environmental protection projects.

The hosting of the sporting event will also expose China to greater international scrutiny and foster better understanding about the country. Through engaging China closer with the wider world, the Olympic Games will help strengthen the forces of liberalism in the country and hasten the pace of social, if not political, change.