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China well prepared for 2008 Beijng Olympics: Cuba |
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20:19, July 03, 2007 |
Cuba's sports authorities on Monday expressed their confidence in China's preparation ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
"We are convinced that China will have the best possible results from these games," president of the Cuban Olympic Committee, Jose Ramon Fernandez, told Xinhua.
Fernandez said the China has several strong teams in a variety of sports, and has a good chance of having a very strong delegation.
In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, China was very strong over all, he recalled. China was tied with the United States on the medals table until the very last day, when the U.S. pulled ahead winning 35 gold medals overall, compared with China's 32.
In the next Olympics, China will be the host and will have the bulk of audience support, he added.
Cuba will send its best athletes and coaches to all the events for which it has qualified, he said.
"The fact that we are sending our best athletes represents a commitment to the Cuban people and for the respect of the host nation," Fernandez said.
Cuba will send between 150 and 200 athletes, and will do its best to qualify for everything, he said. "We will be present in Beijing 2008," said Fernandez, 83, estimating that 10,500 athletes from 202 countries and regions will be represented.
For Cuba, the Games are the final phase of a four-year cycle. There is a year without competition, followed first by the Central American and Caribbean Games, then the Pan-American Games, the two competitions that come close to Olympic rigor.
Fernandez said that Beijing will leave a cultural and sporting legacy in China.
Source:Xinhua
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