Olympics-Games chiefs confident Beijing pollution is in hand

BEIJING, Apr 25 (Reuters) China has pulled out all the stops in its attempts to curb pollution and Olympic officials are confident air quality will be good come the 2008 Games.

''The air quality is an issue that has out continuous attention,'' chief IOC inspector Hein Verbruggen told reporters today.

''(Games organisers) BOCOG and the government here have already achieved a lot.

''Beijing's bid book contained some 130 commitments so far as the environment is concerned. I must say the Chinese have totally lived up to all the commitments they have made.'' The Chinese capital, which will host the Olympics in August of next year, is one of the most polluted cities in the world and is regularly blanketed in thick smog, despite the city government's efforts to reduce pollutants.

''Nobody could have seen seven years ago that you go into economic growth of double figures,'' Verbruggen said.

''Nobody could have seen the growth of construction which creates new problems.

''But we are very confident that the air quality will be up to the levels that allow the athletes to perform to the best of their abilities.

''It has our full attention because we want to take care of the athletes. We are confident in everything we see but it still receives our attention.'' REUTERS BJR RK1444