Beijing Olympic organizers expressed satisfaction over the near-complete construction of the Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium on Saturday, one of the four soccer venues outside Beijing for the 2008 Games, adding that the lawn is still needed to be improved.

 

After receiving updates on the progress of the ongoing construction, Zhang Jilong, head of the Sports Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) said it is so stunning that the project takes just more than a year, and he believed the stadium can meet the demands of the Games.

 

He urged the local organizers to improve the lawn after a trial stepping in person, saying it is needed to be flattened further to meet the standard.

 

The Shenyang stadium will serve as one of the four soccer venues outside Beijing in 2008, together with other three in Tianjin, Shanghai and Qinhuangdao, which are to be concluded within this year.

 

Covered by shining exterior glass and a 2,000-square-meter petal-shaped roof made by transparent materials, the stadium started construction in March last year for a capacity of more than 50,000 seats. The total cost is expected to stand around 900 million yuan (US$ 120 million).

 

The venue will soon embrace its first match, with the Four-Nation Women's Soccer Tournament to kick off in July this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)