Work on new Olympic gymnasium begins
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-03-30 00:12

The curtain was raised on this year's massive construction project in preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games Tuesday as workers broke ground at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in the west of the city.

Leaders of Beijing and the 2008 Olympic organizing committee shovel at the ceremony marking the start of the Wukesong Indoor Gymnasium in western Beijing March 29, 2005. The gymnasium will serve as the venue for basketball matches during the Olympic Games. [newsphoto]

"Work has begun on the Wukesong Indoor Stadium, which shows that the construction of the Beijing Olympic venues is being carried forward smoothly," said Liu Zhihua, head of the Beijing 2008 Construction Headquarters.

"It is the largest venue in the west of Beijing and it will embody the three concepts of the Beijing Olympic Games -- the Green Olympics, the High-tech Olympics and the People's Olympics," Liu said.

Altogether, it is the fifth Olympic venue in Beijing on which construction work has begun, following the National Stadium, the National Swimming Centre, the Olympic Laoshan Velodrome and the Olympic Shooting Range.

Located to the east of the Western Fourth Ring Road, the Wukesong Indoor Stadium, which covers 63,000 square metres, will serve as the basketball gymnasium.

Officials and visitors have a close look at the model of the Wukesong Indoor Gymnasium March 29, 2005. [newsphoto]

It will seat 18,000 spectators.

It is also an important part of the Wukesong Culture and Sports Centre, which will cover 350,000 square metres and encompass the Wukesong Baseball Fields and other related sports and commercial facilities.

After the 2008 Games, the whole centre is planned to serve as a key commercial, sports and leisure place for the people of the west of Beijing.

The Wukesong Indoor Stadium is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2007.

It is owned and managed by Beijing Wukesong Culture and Sports Centre Co Ltd, which is the first proprietor that signed the contract with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

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