Sports

Beijing Presents a Green Winter Olympic Games
by Chu Maoming, China’s Consul General in Lagos

Published

2 years ago

February 13, 2022

WASIU IBRAHIM

Sponsored BY: H&H

The XXIV 2022 Olympic Winter Games has kicked off since February 4 in Beijing, bringing together about 2900 athletes from 91 countries and regions.

Despite the so-called diplomatic boycott led by a few western countries, the sporting gala attracted more than 30 international dignitaries from across the world, including heads of state, heads of government, members of royal families and heads of international organizations.

This gathering of leaders during a time of COVID-19 showed the support of the world for the Olympics, as well as their wish for unity. The smiling faces of athletes from across the world at the grand opening ceremony showed that they were ready to enjoy the sports gala.

My colleagues and I were excited to see Nigerian athletes marching and flying the Nigerian national flag at the opening ceremony when we were watching the live broadcasting in Lagos. We wish Nigerian Olympians excellent performances and good results.

As the world’s first dual-Olympic city which hosts both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Beijing committed to presenting the world a green winter Olympics from bidding period and has made a valuable innovation and breakthrough.

As the distinctive feature in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the concept of sustainability and green has been embedded in the entire process and every aspect of the work to prepare and deliver the Games.

Through careful planning, Beijing has been able to use its budget in a most efficient and effective way, including the utilization of venues built for the 2008 Summer Olympics. This time, among all the venues in downtown Beijing to be used for competition, only one was newly built.

All of the others are legacies from the 2008 Olympics. After the Games, all the venues will be further used as public facilities of sporting events, entertainment or cultural activities, which will benefit the people from all walks of life.

During the bidding stage, some commentators expressed doubts over pollution, claiming high levels of carbon dioxide could pose a risk to athletes’ health. Those fears have disappeared as the city enjoys clear skies and excellent air quality levels.

As part of the Green Olympics initiative, Beijing has placed top priority on ecological preservation, conserving resources and environmental friendliness. In line with the initiative, venues of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are applying more green technologies to reduce energy consumption as well as the impact on the environment.

Carbon dioxide refrigerants for ice-making, the least toxic and most eco-friendly natural refrigerants, were introduced in a bid to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The speed skating venues during the past Winter Olympics all used freon refrigerants for ice-making, but the new refrigerants made of natural carbon dioxide can help reduce carbon emissions to nearly zero.

The new technology can help improve refrigeration efficiency by 20 percent and save electricity use by 2 million kWh a year for the National Speed Skating Oval.

In Yanqing in the outskirts of Beijing, one of the three competition zones for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, a series of environmental protection measures have been implemented in the construction of new venues.

Forestry experts first conducted a study to seek the best ecological restoration and venue construction practices to reduce damage to the environment.

They even relocated some indigenous flora and built safe passages for small animals. When building roads at the National Alpine Skiing Center in Yanqing, workers relocated fragile alpine meadows before construction started and moved them back months later after the construction was finished.

Renewable energy is used to power all competition venues, making the Beijing Winter Olympic Games the first one in history to power all its venues with green electricity. It has been made possible by a flexible DC power grid bringing the capital city electricity generated from the rich wind and solar resources in Zhangjiakou, the co-host city for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

The power grid is expected to send 22.5 billion kWh of electricity to Beijing each year in the future, or around one-tenth of the city’s total power consumption. It will help save 7.8 million tonnes of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2,040 tonnes each year.
Apart from the venues, Beijing has moved to build a green transport system to help better connect the three competition zones of downtown Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway line has helped cut the travel time between downtown Beijing and Zhangjiakou from three hours to one hour, and that between downtown Beijing and Yanqing from two hours to 26 minutes. Meanwhile, all the venues for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in downtown Beijing will be linked by metro lines. Beijing is also building new-energy vehicle charging facilities at the venues and along the roads between Beijing and Zhangjiakou.

In the broader green push, Beijing has upgraded industries, closed polluting enterprises and switched to cleaner energy to reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions.

As an indicator of the green drive, Beijing last year reported the lowest average concentration of PM2.5 since records began in 2013, with the reading at 38 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020, a year-on-year decline of 9.5 percent.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games are of special significance to China’s sports and the development of international Olympic Movement. President Xi Jinping set out a vision of engaging 300 million Chinese people in winter sports – a goal that China has already reached.

Mr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee called China “a new winter sport country”, saying that “the 300 million people who have now been made familiar with winter sport will in the end be the great legacy of the Olympic Winter Games”.

The Beijing Winter Olympic Games are the first comprehensive global sporting event as scheduled since the onset of the pandemic, and the Games have brought hope and confidence to the world amid COVID-19.

I believe the Beijing Winter Olympic Games will go down in history as a milestone for the development of the Olympic Movement and humanity overcoming crisis through solidarity.

Sports

AFCON: LAGOS ASSEMBLY COMMENDS SUPER EAGLES

Published

2 months ago

February 12, 2024

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have commended the Super Eagles of Nigeria for coming second at the just concluded African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.

The commendation was made under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ during plenary on Monday.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, noted that the team played with synergy while also bringing their personal skills to the fore.

Chairman of House Committee on Sports and Youth Development, Hon. Abiodun Orekoya, also said, it was worthy of note that the footballers were returning to Nigeria with a silver trophy.

He advised that youths should be encouraged to engage in sporting activities in the country by ensuring that the stadia are in good shape and put to proper use.

“This act will ensure that they are gainfully employed,” he said.

In his contribution, Hon. Ege Oluwasegun stated that, the goal keeper, Stanley Nwabali, and the team should be acknowledged for their efforts in ensuring that they made it to the finals of the tournament.

Hon. Kehinde Joseph, in his submission stated that, South African players were mostly home-based players.

“We need to invest and develop more of our local sports,” he said.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, in his commendation, said that the facilities were well organised.

“Our Local Government should develop places where youths are made to develop their wealth of sporting experiences,” he said.

He thereafter directed the Clerk to write a commendation letter to the Super Eagles through the Nigerian Football Association.

Sports

Access Holdings Partners HACEY, NiBUCAA to Advance HIV/AIDS Awareness and Testing through Access Bank Lagos City Marathon

Published

3 months ago

February 8, 2024

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H

Access Holdings PLC, the headline sponsors of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, has partnered with HACEY Health Initiative and the Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA) to deepen HIV/AIDS awareness and testing in Lagos.

The initiative, launched ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon scheduled for Saturday, February 10, aims to impact 20,000 individuals with the awareness of best practices to manage their health and wellbeing as well as reduce the spread of the virus.

To this end, Access Holdings, through its implementation partners, last week flagged off a health drive that will extend to the Marathon grounds, and see participants benefit from free HIV screening and counselling.

Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, Head of Group Sustainability at Access Holdings PLC, emphasised the company’s commitment, stating, “Our partnership is demonstrative of our dedication to leveraging large-scale events like the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon to drive positive change in our communities.

By prioritising HIV/AIDS awareness and testing, we are taking significant steps towards a healthier, informed and more empowered society.”

Over the previous editions of the Marathon, Access Holdings’ HIV testing and counselling drives have directly benefited over 13,618 individuals.

Additionally, the Group and its partners have increased awareness of HIV prevention and safety across different LCDAs in Lagos, reaching over 50,010 people.

Through these efforts, 63 reactive patients have received referral care and psychosocial support, while 22,272 condoms and IEC materials have been distributed.

The 2024 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, an iconic event celebrating athleticism and community engagement, has put Lagos on the world map. Regarded as the world’s fastest growing road race, the Marathon has become one of the continent’s biggest platforms for cultural exchange, contributing significantly to tourism and as a result, boosting the continent’s economy.

Sports

Access Holdings raises funds to secure brighter future for African children at UK Polo Day

Published

9 months ago

July 19, 2023

august24admin

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Access Holdings, a leading African finance institution committed to making a difference, has once again demonstrated its dedication to ensuring children have the chance to access quality education.

Through its recent Polo Day, held at the esteemed Guards Polo Club in Windsor, United Kingdom, the group secured pledges for the construction of 100 classroom blocks in Nigeria.

The classrooms will go a long way in ensuring countless underprivileged children will have access to a safe and nurturing learning environment, ultimately inspiring them to dream, learn and become more.

In his remarks at the event, the Group Managing Director of Access Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, highlighted the significant milestones made in line with the organisation’s objectives.

“Today, we stand on the shoulders of the remarkable achievements from previous editions. Each one, a testament to our commitment to making a tangible difference in the lives of children in need of education and optimism. Together, we have made good progress in ensuring children are given a fair chance at a brighter future through quality education.

“Our collective and continuing support of free and equitable education for children reflects a view of our role as change agents that can help institute socio-economic development through responsible business practice and social initiatives. As such, we will continue to seek out innovative ways to garner resources and invest in the future of our society. We are part of the community and we support its wellbeing,” Wigwe stated.

Since the polo fundraising initiative was launched in partnership with Fifth Chukker and UNICEF, Access Holdings, through its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc has seen to the refurbishment of several schools in Kaduna and has put over 12,000 children through continuous education. At the same time, 60 classrooms and a computer literacy building have been commissioned. The communities surrounding the schools are supported with boreholes for water, while households have been empowered with equipment and training to secure employment, stimulating economic and social development.

The completion of the new set of classroom blocks will represent a significant step in the organisation’s goal of attaining a student-to-class ratio of 35-40 students per class in line with the national target.

Restating plans to empower even more communities, the Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Roosevelt Ogbonna emphasised that, “The Group’s true victory does not lie solely in the goals scored during the tournament, but in the lasting impact we can create beyond these moments.”

“We are proud to be a driving force in the pursuit of access to education and look forward to creating a world where every child has the opportunity to thrive,” he concluded.

The event brought together distinguished guests and personalities from around the world. Among the notable attendees were the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwoolu; 14th Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, CON; 21st Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwase III; Chairman, Coronation Capital, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede; Chairman, Access Bank Plc, Paul Usoro (SAN); former Chairman of Access Bank Plc, Ajoritsedere Awosika, and more.