The head of the Polish Olympic delegation expressed satisfaction with the service at the Beijing Capital International Airport after the early Sunday arrival of the group.
Wearing red T-shirts with Chinese characters "Polish delegation to the Beijing Olympic Games" on the right arms, 125 athletes arrived at the airport at 6:35 am (2235 GMT on Saturday) aboard flight LO091.
Forty-two of them left for the Olympic village in the north of Beijing, and the others, including Polish men's handball players, were to transfer to South Korea or Japan to continue their training, hoping to adapt to the time and climate differences as soon as possible.
Kajetan Broniewski, chef de mission of the Polish Olympic delegation, has been in Beijing for several days to prepare for the arrival of Polish athletes. He has visited the Olympic village and other facilities.
"I am satisfied with the smooth process in which the Polish athletes went through required procedures at the airport, including the Olympic special channel here. Every one works very quickly. We have taken two hours and 15 minutes to pass all of these," said Broniewski.
"Compared with my past experience, that speed is OK," the chief said. He added that all the staff at Beijing airport were very nice and ready to help the new arrivals.
"The reception is organized. The transfer of those who need to go to Seoul or Tokyo also runs smoothly," said Broniewski.
The chief said he believed the Beijing Games would be the best one in Olympic history.
On the preparation for the Games, Broniewski said Poland would see more players compete in the Beijing Olympics and would stage better performance.
"In the 2004 Athens Games, we gained a total of 10 medals. Our preparations for the Beijing Games can be said as successful if we capture 11 to 12 medals," said the chief.
He identified athletics, swimming, weightlifting, canoeing and handball as events which Polish athletes are capable of winning medals in the Beijing Olympics.
The 265-strong Polish delegation will arrive in three groups. The other two batches of athletes are scheduled to arrive on August 3 and August 7, the Polish media said. That will be the largest Olympics-bound Polish mission since the Moscow Games in 1980.
President of the Polish Olympic Committee Piotr Nurowski has vowed to bring home more than 10 Olympic medals in the Beijing Games. Otherwise he will resign.
Poland first participated in the Olympic Games in 1924, and has since sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympics except for the 1984 Games. Its athletes have won a total of 259 medals, with athletics being its most successful sport.
(Xinhua News Agency July 28.2008)