An amazing time in Beijing | Ball Hop with Marty Morrissey

Wednesday, 07 January 2009

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An amazing time in Beijing

Wednesday, 27 August 2008 13:18

It’s hard to believe the 29th Olympiad is over. Years and years of planning by organisers, athletes, coaches and of course the media has all come to an end. A successful end it must be said. The capitol city of the People’s Republic of China was the source that beamed pictures to billions of people around the globe for over two weeks and Beijing sparkled like a jewel. At this moment in time, I can’t see how London in 2012 or Tokyo or Chicago or indeed whoever gets the right to host it in 2016 will ever surpass the Chinese. This was only my second Olympics on the away team but Beijing outclassed Athens big time. In comparison to other journalists who have reported on many more Olympiads than I like Jimmy Magee for instance who was on his 12th, they are all saying the same thing…fantastic Beijing.
The size and scale of the operation is just mind boggling and not one day in the last 16 days have I not said to myself...wow, this is some place.
I’m not for one moment forgetting or sidestepping the human rights issues that afflict this great nation but I am purely basing my thoughts and observations on what I saw as a sports journalist. I admit we have all been living in a Disneylike environment…an Olympic bubble and genuinely most of us have no idea of what’s been happening in the outside world. But we are on the way home.
I have been lucky to work in some wonderful stadiums over the last few years either as a reporter or commentator but I have to say the Bird’s Nest in Beijing has to go straight to Number 1 in my list of venues that are just awesome (I really have been speaking to too many Americans over the last two weeks but right now it seems like the appropriate word). The capacity of 91,000 was tested on a few occasions but empty or full it’s a beautifully designed arena. Difficult and all as this may seem but my first time in the Bird’s Nest was only last Wednesday night…two weeks after I left Ireland. I was in again to interview Alistair Cragg last Saturday night and wasn’t under so much pressure afterwards (although getting there almost gave my cameraman and I heart attacks as the driver of the car went in the wrong direction and we had to run about three miles back with camera, tripod, batteries and tapes). The television pictures hardly do it justice as the sheer size, scale and shape of the place is carved so beautifully to make it so aesthically pleasing. I was here last November and something like 10,000 men were working on it’s construction every day, 24 hours a day. As far as the eye could see were people working in overall’s of the same colour and texture. Fire and safety precautions were seemingly kept to a minimum and I hear a few men lost their lives.
As a group of journalists stood on what was then a building site in the hazy smog of November, we all knew the Bird’s Nest and the Beijing Olympics would be good but never did we imagine that it would reach the level it did.
The story goes that a local soccer team will take over the Bird’s Nest in a few weeks time when the Paralympics are finished but I don’t know will it ever be full to capacity again as soccer has a following in China but nothing in comparison to the way we love our GAA or our International rugby or soccer teams.
If you ever go on holidays to China, take in Beijing and the Bird’s Nest. The city may change again..nobody knows for sure but something tells me that the Bird’s Nest will always be a symbol of change..a change for the openness, honesty and spirit of the athletes that ran and jumped for Olympic glory on this historic ground.
There are 6,000 Irish in Beijing doing incredible work across a whole spectrum of areas. Aidan Duffy is from Athlone and he is the General Manager of the most prestigious Private Members Club in the capitol.
He gave a group of us a tour and treated us to the most magnificent meal last Friday night and boy were we impressed and boy did we appreciate it ! Easily the best meal we got in almost 3 weeks ! About 900 members enjoy the luxurious surroundings with spa facilities, sauna, squash, table tennis and two massive tennis courts on the top floor. Senior Government officials are regular visitors as tennis in particular is quite popular…it doesn’t take all day like golf and the Chinese do not like to waste too much time.
Angela Keane is from Kerry and is the FAS representative in China. She also has her own training and business enterprise and in her spare time…plays Gaelic Football with the local club.
Aoife O’Loughlin works in the Irish Embassy but is the inspiration behind the GAA in China. I could go as every day or every night I met some other Irish person who has come out to this great and vast country and is today placing a prominent role in their society.
The rumours of being monitored and phone tapped are apparently greatly exaggerated but monitoring does go on. If you stand up in Tienaman Square you will be photographed every few minutes. It’s quite funny really. Some people will be lovely and ask your permission while others do it regularly and again allegedly these individuals are working for the Government. When it happens it’s rather funny as well as it reminds one of every spy comedy you might have watched on TV. These people hide behind poles or telephone boxes and next thing there’s a…flash.
The Chinese people have been outstanding to all of us. Gracious, patient, mannerly and dignified…they genuinely could not have been better hosts. As I said in my opening report for TV, “the Chinese do not intend to fail”. Let me tell you categorically they didn’t. In fact they were so magnificent that all I can say is God help London. They have no chance of ever being as good as Beijing.

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