bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Claudia Yip

Jeffrey Wong

Each week our two teenagers debate a hot topic. This week ...
Jeffrey Wong, 19, Diocesan Boys' School
Sportsmen compete  for medals, while cities  bid to host the Olympic Games. These things have always  made headlines.
This year, the spotlight is on the Beijing Olympics. Yet, some of the Games events will take place in  other cities like Hong Kong and Qinhuangdao  in Shandong province  . Do such arrangements make sense?
Large-scale sports competitions can cause serious disruptions to a city. There will be thousands of visitors, sparking traffic jams and transport problems.
By holding all events in one city, the problems  can be confined to that particular place. Therefore, the adverse effects on daily life can be reduced to a minimum  by using the resources  in a more efficient and  effective manner.   With different host cities, travelling can disrupt athletes' preparation.
Also,  we have to consider the importance of the Olympic Games. According to the International Olympic Committee, the competition helps to bring together people from around the world and promote peace and harmony.
For example,  people from  many nationalities get together in the athletes' village, helping to enhance understanding about different cultures. This wonderful atmosphere can be disrupted if there is more than one host city.
We should consider all these drawbacks and make a wise decision.
Claudia Yip, 17, Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School
The Olympic craze is sweeping the world, especially our country. This year, the Games will be held mainly in Beijing. But isn't it strange for such a high-profile international event to be confined to a single city?
Squeezing all athletes, spectators,  the press and  volunteers into one place poses a huge challenge to local infrastructure.  For example, Beijing is constructing a new airport terminal to accommodate the flood of visitors for the upcoming Games.
Moreover, 12  venues are being built in the mainland capital. What would happen to them after the Games? Would the new hotels be able to attract enough visitors?
If more cities are involved,  new infrastructure - such as highways, sports complexes and parks - can be put to better use. There would be no big demand for a single facility.   And there would be less environmental problems and no need to re-settle residents away from the city to reduce overcrowding.
Athletes are  professionals, so they wouldn't mind having events in different cities.  As for sports fans, very few of them are lucky enough to purchase tickets for Olympic events. Even if they miss the live action, there's always television. With the advanced technology now available, the press shouldn't have any problems.
Therefore, why don't we  share the cheerful and exciting atmosphere of the Olympics in various cities?



Should different Olympic events  be held in different cities?