When radio personality Chen Lianying learned Swahili at college, she never dreamed she would be providing translation services for African Olympians in China 40 years later.

Chen Lianying (R) and John Stephen Akhwari. [China Daily]

But that is what the China Radio International anchor was called on to do last week when Olympic marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania  visited Beijing.

Now BOCOG is facing a daunting shortage of volunteers capable of handling these less-widely-spoken languages, and it wants Chen to use her 43 years of experience to help out at the Beijing Games.

"It is very difficult to find good interpreters that are familiar with Swahili among Chinese under 30," said the 61-year-old.

Those who can, struggle, she said.

"They are simply too young, and the language is not yet in their bones."

Li Shoudao, 67, used to be a foreign correspondent stationed in Nairobi, Kenya. He said the Chinese youngsters tend to crack under pressure.

"The problem is that they get really nervous in times of emergency and cannot find the proper words to help athletes communicate," said Li, who has already registered as a foreign language volunteer for the Games. Chen is still mulling the offer.

While it may seem odd that China has a collection of people in their 60s and 70s who elected to study Swahili during a period of economic struggle here, a quick history lesson provides some answers.

China helped Tanzania build a major railway in the 1950s, a time when bilateral relations were booming and Chinese students were encouraged to learn African languages.

Chen started learning Swahili in 1965 when she entered university to study radio presenting. She went to Tanzania three times in the 1970s and 80s.

BOCOG is now pooling its resources to make for a language barrier-free Games, and is seeking out retirees from the Foreign Ministry, academia and the media.