Closing ceremony of Beijing Olympics draws world attention, praise

  2008-08-24 17:23:08 GMT    2008-08-25 01:23:08 (Beijing Time)    Xinhua

  BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics Sunday night has drawn worldwide attention and Beijing's successful hosting of the Games has earned global applause.

  Pakistan's national TV station, and the private GEO, EXPRESS, NEWS and AAJ stations gave live coverage of the entire ceremony.

  Their commentators congratulated China on its successful hosting of the Games, saying that Pakistan is happy to see China won most gold medals.

  The Kyodo news agency said in a story that "The Beijing Olympic theme of 'One World, One Dream' turned out a success despite predictions of gloom and doom, including whispers of terrorist plots and complaints of air pollution ahead of the competition in which more than 10,500 athletes from a record 204 national delegations participated."

  Japan's NHK also broadcast live the closing ceremony. Its anchor believed that although the Olympic flame was extinguished, the festival seemed to continue.

  Meanwhile, the Afghan private TV channel Saba, which broadcast the closing ceremony live, said the unprecedented and impressive Olympics are specially meaningful to the war-torn Afghanistan as it has won a historic Olympic medal.

  "The bronze medalist Rohullah Nikpay is the pride of whole Afghanistan and his success shows the capability of the Afghan people to the rest of the world," it said.

  Peikar Farhad, an Afghan journalist said it is the first time he felt so "involved" as the Olympic Games was held in neighboring China.

  "Despite all kinds of difficulties before the Games' opening," he said," the Chinese people showed their power to overcome all problems and made a great Olympic Games."

  Many Iraqis said the Beijing Olympics are extremely successful and showcased China's characteristics and charm.

  Mohammad Hussein, a 55-year-old civil servant, said the Beijing Olympics without doubt were the best among the Games he has watched since 1980.

  China has performed perfectly at the Games as it won 51 gold medals, he said.

  In Thailand, an anchor from Thailand's national television said the Beijing Olympics is the most wonderful one in history, and the organizing work was perfect.

  The anchor said the Games provided an opportunity for the world to further understand the developing China, and cemented the links between China and the rest of the world, which is an embodiment of the slogan: "One world, One dream."

  The splendid opening and closing ceremonies exerted a deep impression on the World, and the big gatherings would linger in people's memories for a long time, the anchor added.

  In Brazil, TV Globo and Band Sports TV broadcast live the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, lauding the festive atmosphere during the ceremony and the success of the Games.

  "The closing ceremony can even rival Brazil's carnival, and it is indeed an Olympic carnival," a Beijing correspondent of Band Sports said.

  The Folha de Sao Paulo said on its website that a brotherhood atmosphere permeated the closing ceremony, and athletes were in the mood of attending a feast.

  In Mongolia, four TV channels broadcast the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics live on Sunday evening, hailing the Beijing Games as a "great success."

  A commentator from the TV 5 said the Games has drawn the world attention to Beijing and added a "fabulous" chapter to the Olympic history.

  The opening and closing ceremonies, in particular, presented to the world excellent performances, marking two "China days" for all spectators.

  China has fulfilled its promises of hosting a "green, high-tech and people's Olympics," which showcased China's fast economic growth and its increasing openness to the rest of the world, the commentator said.

  In South Korea, the Yonhap News Agency said relations between China and South Korea further cemented through the Beijing Olympic Games.

  The Beijing Olympics is conducive to the development of bilateral relations in the long run, Yonhap said in an article.

  China has been South Korea's top trading partner and 700,000 South Korean citizens are living in China, which made the Beijing Olympics significant to South Korea, the article said.