Shanghai set for the kick-off

The Shanghai Sports Administration yesterday began its one-month countdown to the Olympics and will now begin testing the Olympic soccer venues.

Shanghai will stage 12 soccer games as part of the Beijing Olympics between August 7 and 22, including seven group level games - six in men's competition and one in women's. The city will also see two quarterfinals and two semifinals.

The 12 soccer games will be played at the Shanghai Stadium and will involve 744 players, judges and officials.

The administration said tickets for the Shanghai games were selling well and tickets for the men's and women's semifinals have already been sold out.

The other preliminary round matches will be played in stadiums in Tianjin, Qinhuangdao and Shenyang before the event proceeds to the knock-out stage in Beijing.

According to Qiu Weichang, deputy chief of the Shanghai Sports Administration, the renovations at the Shanghai Stadium have been completed.

All the competition facilities including the pitch, have been prepared, Qiu said. Jinshan District in the city and Jurong area in Jiangsu Province have prepared pitches which cover 20,000 square meters in total.

Qiu said some areas around the Shanghai Stadium will be sealed off from July 20. At present, 34 businesses including supermarkets, restaurants and shopping malls are being relocated.

The Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center at the Shanghai Stadium has also been moved temporarily to 2,419 Zhongshan No. 2 Road S. during the games. Taking the No. 1 exit from the Shanghai Stadium station on Metro Lines 1 and 4 will lead to the new center.

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