Bangkok and Beijing, the two big metropolitans in Asia, are celebrating similar sports events tonight at the same time respectively.
While Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is celebrating the opening of an 11-day world university games, Beijing, the capital of China, is celebrating the one-year countdown of the Olympic Games.
They even have similar slogans, with "All become one" and "One color, one power" for the 24th Universiade and "One world ,one dream" for the upcoming Beijing Olympics.
Over 12,000 university student athletes and coaches from 158 countries and regions attended a splendid singing and dancing gala held at the national stadium in Bangkok, which features the traditional Thai culture.
"We both emphasize unity and harmony," said Dr. Wichit Srisa-an, minister of education of Thailand and chairman of the Universiade organizing committee, who hopes Thailand will accumulate experiences through hosting the Universiade and bid successfully for summer Olympics in coming years.
A remarkable feature of organizing the current Universiade is that the committee has built not a single new sports venues. All of the 66 gyms and stadia put into use this time are utilized of the existing facilities, which is quite rare in the 48-year history of the Universiade.
As an good integretion of sports and education, Universiade has been warmly welcomed by China since the day it came into existence. Beijing held the 21st Universiade in 2001, and Shenzhen, the special economic zone in South China, is going to host 26th Universiade in four years time. Meanwhile, a winter Universiade will be held in 2009 in Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang Province in northeast China.
A smiling girl volunteer of the Universiade volunteer told Xinhua, "We are friendly and hospitable people. I like to smile to others because it makes me happy. I think it will make others happy too."
In fact, the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee has sent a 12- person team of volunteer managers here in Bangkok for a study tour and the team is demonstrating a "Smiling Beijing" volunteer service at the center of the athletes village these days.
Source: Xinhua
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