Stavros Douvis (right), FISU's CTI talks to an official of the executive office of Universiade 2011 at the athletes' village in Longgang on Friday. Sun Yuchen

Li Hao

FIVE officials from the International University Sports Federation (FISU) on Friday inspected the construction of the main venues for the Summer Universiade 2011 in Longgang District.

The visit was part of a three-week inspection tour of Shenzhen by a 30-member FISU delegation. The inspection tour is to monitor Shenzhen’s preparation for the games and took in the athletes’ village, Universiade stadium and the Universiade gymnasium.

Construction has so far seen the capping of a service center, a convention center, dining hall C and an administrative center basement.

“The preparations are really going well,” said Stavros Douvis, chairman of FISU’s International Technical Committee (CTI).

“I went to the 2008 Olympic in Beijing and I believe the Chinese can run anything,” he said in an interview with Shenzhen Daily.

Douvis has been to Shenzhen several times to inspect preparations for the games.

“I’m surprised by the construction volume and was first impressed by the size of the main stadium,” said Mark Tennant, FISU’s technical chairman for volleyball and beach volleyball.

Overlooking the athletes’ village from a viewing stand, Tennant said the whole construction work was well-organized and the construction workers were “geniuses.”

He also visited the beach volleyball venue in Dameisha and hoped the first beach volleyball match in FISU history would become “Wimbledon” in east Shenzhen.

The inspection delegation was accompanied by a number of volunteers serving as interpreters.

“The Universiade is coming to my home and it’s wonderful to be part of it,” said Li Lifu, a sophomore at Shenzhen University. Li was Tennant’s interpreter.

Of Shenzhen’s 403 chief volunteers for the Universiade, 16 recently went to Shandong to work for the 11th national sports meeting, according to the Shenzhen executive office of Universiade 2011.

The delegation will continue inspections of all venues in the coming days.

The Shenzhen Universiade Executive Office will invite 1,000 to 1,500 distinguished guests, including city mayors, political figures from various countries, presidents of universities and FISU officials to attend the 26th Summer Universiade, which will be held Aug. 12 to 23 in 2011.

The executive office has signed partnership agreements worth 675 million yuan (US$99 million) with 12 companies.

Source： Shenzhen Daily  Editor： 薛建华