Liu Qi (C) and Wang Qishan (R-1)

(BEIJING, August 18) -- Beijing Olympic chief Liu Qi on Friday urged team members working with the forthcoming ISF XI Women’s World Championship to deliver a high-standard performance for the event and make it a good example for Olympic test events and the 2008 Summer Games.

He made the remarks at an inspection tour of Fengtai Softball Field in western Beijing. "We heed to pay as much attention to the softball championship as to the Olympic Games," he told the officials and staff of the preparatory team.

He stressed many areas of the championship, including security, transport and volunteer service, in addition to good services for athletes, coaches, referees, technicians and news media. Mass participation needs to be promoted to popularize the softball sport, he said.

Liu, together with Mayor of Beijing Wang Qishan and other leading officials of BOCOG, was briefed on the construction of the venue, security and monitoring system as well as transportation control system around the venue.

The International Softball Federation (ISF) event takes place from August 27 to September 5 with over 270 athletes from 16 teams expected to compete at the venue, the same one for the 2008 Olympic softball competitions.