The number of applications to work as a volunteer at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has exceeded 350,000
since the recruitment program began in August last year, according
to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games
(BOCOG).
By the end of February, the number of applications from
Beijingers had topped 250,000, including more than 180,000
university students, and that of applications from outside the
Chinese capital is close to 100,000, BOCOG said.
The BOCOG plans to enlist a total of 70,000 volunteers for the
2008 Olympics and 30,000 for the ensuing Paralympics.
Another round of recruitment would be launched later this month
to receive applicants from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, which will
be followed with recruitment for the wider world.
BOCOG executive vice president Li Binghua said in January that
the first batch of the volunteers will be selected before August
and they will start working during this year's test events.
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2007)