A former International Olympic Committee official lauded Beijing for continuing to promote international sporting events in the wake of the 2008 Games.

Hein Verbruggen, an ex-member of the IOC and chairman of the coordination commission for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was full of praise for the city's efforts to continue its Olympic legacy at the launch of the SportAccord World Mind Games on Tuesday.

"I don't think there is any other Olympic city in the world that has taken the mission of organizing the Olympic Games and their aftermath in such a serious and consistent way as Beijing," Verbruggen, the president of SportAccord, said.