An overwhelming number of Beijingers are planning to watch the Olympics from their couches at home, a survey by a government-funded agency has found. When asked how they would spend their time during the August 8-24 Games, 98 per cent of respondents said they planned to watch the action on television. The poll interviewed 2,003 Beijing residents between April and this month. It was conducted by the Beijing Social Facts and Public Opinion Survey Centre, which is administered by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The second most popular activity, say 91.5 per cent of the respondents, was resting at home and doing housework, said the poll report released this week by the centre. It found 55.7 per cent said they would go to work as usual. Some companies in the capital plan to cut office hours or close down during the Games because their businesses have been affected by temporary regulations imposed in the run-up to the Olympics. For instance, vehicles from other provinces cannot enter Beijing without permits until September 20. Those emitting heavy pollutants are barred from downtown areas. Of the people who managed to obtain tickets, basketball was the most popular event, accounting for 16.2 per cent of the tickets. Athletics came second with 11.5 per cent, followed by the opening ceremony (10.1), volleyball (6.8) and table tennis (5.4). The report did not state the number of people who had bought tickets. Hosting the Games has been touted as a source of national pride, with the government pledging to deliver a flawless Olympics despite what it calls mounting pressure from security threats. The centre said 80.1 per cent of the respondents were 'very confident' that the government would pull off 'the most successful Olympic Games ever', while 14.9 per cent said they were 'quite confident'. It did not mention whether anyone had raised doubts about meeting the target. The respondents were also generously confident in the government's ability to handle any incidents, with 71.8 per cent saying they were 'very confident'. Only 0.5 per cent said that they were 'not very confident'. In the lead The percentage of survey respondents who would like to buy tickets for the following sports: basketball: 21.9% soccer: 18.3% diving: 17% table tennis: 14.3%
