On the Scene in Beijing -- IOC Session Gala, Blatter’s Olympic Battles

(ATR) The gleaming egg-shaped dome of the National Theater hosts an IOC Ceremony and FIFA Chief Sepp Blatter speaks up for Olympic football. More inside...

Hu Jintao poses with IOC members at the opening ceremony for the 120th IOC Session. (Getty)President Hu Jintao Welcomes IOC at Session Opening

The spectacular National Center for the Performing Arts was the venue for Monday night’s gala open of the 120th IOC Session.

In his remarks, Chinese president Hu Jintao noted the impact the Olympics will have on his country.

"It is also our hope that through the Games, we can show the world the sincere aspiration of the Chinese people to share the benefits of development and to join with the rest of the world in building a bright future," said Hu. At the IOC Session gala: Francois Carrard (left), former director general of the IOC, with Claude Nobs, founder of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Carrard is chairman of the board for the festival. (ATR)

IOC President Jacques Rogge steered clear of mentioning any of the controversies involving the Games, but did speak about the challenges for China and the opportunity presented by the Olympics.

"China is a nation in transition, with a great future, tremendous potential and some challenges. I think history will view the Games as a significant milestone in China's remarkable transformation," he said.

Rogge and his IOC colleagues posed on the stage of the opera house with Hu for a photograph prior to the 90-minute ceremony.

The musical portion of the program surprisingly was geared toward western tastes, with a succession of arias and duets from popular grand operas. A single Chinese work was included in the program, which closed with the premier of "Dream Under the Olympic Flag", a commissioned work for voices and orchestra, in western style.

Blatter Wants Under 23 Stars to Play in Games, Even if Clubs Don’t

In his first of two scheduled press conferences during the Olympics, FIFA FIFA President Sepp Blatter finds himself at odds with European football clubs on the issue of under-23 players at the Olympics. (Getty)President Sepp Blatter called for Olympic eligible players to be automatically available for the Olympics. Brazil and Argentina are caught in a legal impasse with clubs that refuse to release players to both national squads.

"Let the players play" urged Blatter.

"We are surprised by what has happened ... These players have been asked to play for their national teams," Blatter said.

Barcelona won’t let Argentine Lionel Messi play and Brazil is hoping Schalke and Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga release Rafinha and Diego respectively. CAS is hearing appeals from the three players and have not made a decision yet. If they are denied a chance to play, Brazil and Argentina will not be able to replace them, as per FIFA’s replacement rules.

"Twenty years ago we made the decision that the Olympic Games should be for players under 23. We have never had a complaint or put into question the automatic qualification of under-23 players."

"I ask the teams in Germany and Spain, if the ruling is in their favor, to let the players play because they are already here," he said.

Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Anderson have been released by their clubs to play in Beijing and Blatter noted that all of the clubs in England released their players who wanted to play.

Weather Report for August 5

Beijing Olympic Green: 32C/90F, partly cloudy

Hong Kong Beas River equestrian venue: 31C/88F, thunderstorms

Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center: 29C/84F, partly cloudy

On the Schedule

Training matches in water polo, four for women, and six for men.

Media Watch

The BBC has a 20 minute interview with WADA chief John Fahey about anti-doping efforts ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Written by Ed Hula, Ed Hula III .

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