IOC Beijing inspection opens with ping pong diplomacy

BEIJING, Apr 17 (Reuters) International Olympic Committee (IOC) inspectors opened their eighth visit to check on preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a bit of ping pong diplomacy today.

The coordination commission, chaired by Dutchman Hein Verbruggen, will spend three days touring the venues and meeting with officials from the Beijing organising committee (BOCOG) to discuss the fine details of next August's Games.

To start the trip, though, Verbruggen took to the table tennis table to play China's favourite sport against BOCOG president Liu Qi.

Their friendly game was part of a ''mass participation'' competition for Beijingers which will climax in some 10,000 playing at the city's iconic Temple of Heaven park later this year.

This is the commission's first visit to Beijing in 2007, which BOCOG officials are fond of describing as a ''critical'' year for preparations for the Games.

Progress on the centrepiece national stadium, which officials recently admitted would not be finished by the end of this year as had been hoped, and the politically sensitive torch relay schedule are likely to be discussed.

Most discussion, though, is likely to focus on the ''software'' necessary for hosting the Games, looking after the thousands of athletes, officials and media as well as matters such as security.

Verbruggen and his party will visit the ''Bird's Nest'' stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies, the athletics and the soccer finals next year, and the neighbouring ''Water Cube'' aquatics centre later today.

The torch relay schedule is due to be released next week, according to BOCOG officials.

REUTERS TB RK1258