Xinhua
Beijing, April 5 (Xinhua) Boycott has been taken out from our dictionary long time ago and there will be no boycott in any Olympic Games, said Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) president Mario Vazquez Rana here Saturday. “We say no to any boycott…that’s our logo,” Rana told a news conference before the opening of the 16th ANOC meeting, which will focus on the preparation of Beijing Olympics starting Aug 18.

“If any politician pushes a boycott, he is making an error. That’s for the benefit of our athletes, we oppose any boycott not only in Beijing but also all Olympic Games,” he said.

“As far as we know, every athlete is eager to participate in the games and the opening ceremony, ” he added.

“We want our athletes to have the greatest freedom of expression but that should be under the rules of the Olympic Charter.”

Rana also disclosed that there are at least 200 items on the ANOC’s meeting agenda. The meeting will start Monday and end Wednesday.

ANOC affiliates the national Olympic committees (NOCs) recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). There are 205 NOCs to date, according to ANOC’s official website.

In Singapore, IOC president Jacques Rogge voiced his satisfaction with China’s preparations for the Games.

“We are happy with the preparations in Beijing. We just had the visit to Beijing by the IOC Coordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games led by Hein Verbruggen,” he said.

“We now just have 127 or 128 days before the beginning of the Beijing Olympic Games, and we are pleased for what the Beijing Organising Committee has done.”

Rogge stressed that the Beijing Games will be one of the best in the world and the IOC does not support the idea by someone to boycott them.

Earlier in the day, Rogge also said at a dialogue session at a local junior college that the air pollution in the Chinese capital presents no danger to the health of athletes competing in the August Olympics.

Rogge, who arrived here Friday night on a three-day visit to check on how the state is preparing for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010, also witnessed with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a signing ceremony for the host city contract.
Xinhua