It took a whole year to build the center starting from July, 2005, which covers a construction area of 15,570 square meters with a capacity of 13,000 seats.

    There are 16 teams vying in the Championship, which will last 10 days from Aug. 27 to Sept. 5. The teams are bracketed into two pools with U.S., Canada, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, DPR Korea and Britain playing in Pool A along with China, while Australia, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Greece, Venezuela, Netherlands, Botswana and Colombia in Pool B.

    A total of 423 journalists from more than 70 media organizations have been accredited to witness the operation of the venue during the Championship, including 106 overseas media.

    "The venue has prepared TV, photo workrooms and journalists seats in the field and the press center in the functional building," Wang Hui, the Olympic media service official, said.

    "Communication facilities, competition information, internet broadband access and food are available for media. The wireless internet access service is provided as well," Wang introduced.

    "To meet the demands of foreign media to cover Beijing Olympic preparations, the press center set up a special working group responsible for services to foreign media."

    "In cooperation with other departments, this group will take upsuch work as airport reception and hotel check-in for overseas journalists."

    The organizers will also arrange interviews with officials from BOCOG and Beijing Municipal government, and set up tour visits to Beijing Olympic venues that are under construction such as the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Center. (By sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng)