Softball is a not a popular sport in China, and the event will not be
included in Olympics after the 2008 Beijing Games. All the additional seats
besides the 5,000 fixed seats are temporary and can be easily dismantled, which
reduces costs and avoids waste after the Games.
ISF President Don Porter said at an executive board meeting on August 30 that
the Women's Softball World Championship in Beijing was a great success, and he
was content with the softball centre, and that the ISF would assist in
developing the softball training and playing centre after the 2008 Games.
Yang Shu'an, BOCOG executive deputy president told the media at the Fengtai
Softball Centre on September 5 that the Women's Championship was successful, but
there is still room for improvements for Olympic events.
ISF official Bruce Wawrzyniak advised the softball organizing committee to
give journalists more athlete and team technical statistics during the matches.
Wawrzyniak also criticized the disorder at the press box, where photographers
and journalists were mixed up.
A Japanese journalist said his country sent as many as 80 reporters to China,
but they found the press area was too small.
China Daily newspaper reporter Yu Yilei said it's inappropriate to make VIPs
and reporters enter the softball centre through one entrance, which he believed
would affect VIP security and interfere with reporters' work.
Beijing Youth Daily reporter Wang Yuan said it was pity that the event missed
the chance to publicize Chinese culture, as many foreign athletes and reporters
were disappointed when they couldn't find anywhere to buy posters of the event,
which were made using a traditional paper-cut craft.
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