As the Closing Ceremony of the Guangzhou Asian Games nears, Xu Ruisheng can now sit back and take a deep breath.
Xu Ruisheng, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, says the Asiad has served as a catalyst for urban construction. (Zou Zhongpin/China Daily)
"So far, everything at the Guangzhou Asian Games has run smoothly. That is in keeping with our original aim and the Games' vision - Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia," the Vice Mayor of Guangzhou said.
"There have been many touching stories every day at all of the competition venues. Audiences have shown their enthusiasm and athletes from the participating countries and regions are performing at their utmost best. This is what the Games needed," Xu said.
For Xu, the most important thing is that the Guangzhou Asian Games have shown off the culture of Lingnan - or South China - to the rest of the region.
From a small drop of water which led to a traditional Cantonese children's song at the Opening Ceremony to the newly-built Asian Games Town, where buildings were constructed in accordance with Lingnan architectural features, the Asian Games has presented foreign visitors with a glimpse of Guangzhou's rich history, Xu said.
A number of old downtown buildings and some ancient Lingnan-styled sites, including the Chenghuang Temple, underwent major renovations before the GuangzhouAsian Games.
"I am happy with the facelift project. All these efforts were to represent Guangzhou's rich history. And I think foreign athletes, officials and visitors have already noticed such an historic change during their stay in Guangzhou," Xu said.
The Guangzhou Asian Games have been highly praised by the International Olympic Committee and Olympic Council of Asia.
"I understand all the work we have put in so far has been received very well. But we cannot afford to relax now. The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games have not yet concluded and the Guangzhou 2010Asian Para Games are yet to come," Xu said.
Xu played a part in Guangzhou's bid for the 16th Asian Games in 2004, when he was in charge of the city's urban construction.
In May 2006, two years after Guangzhou successfully won the bid, Xu was assigned to become one of the main officials from the local government to handle issues related to the event.
Two months later, the Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) was officially set up and Xu was named Deputy Secretary General.
"The government and people from all walks of life have given GAGOC strong support since its inception," Xu said.
After the establishment of the committee, the local government aimed to integrate more social resources into preparing for the games.
About 52 international and domestic companies became Asian Games' sponsorship partners, sources at GAGOC said.
"This illustrates that local companies are keen on taking part in the games by giving their support to us," said Xu.
Pointing at a bottle of herbal drink in his office, Xu recalled the struggle to find potential sponsorship partners.
After the global economic meltdown in 2008, GAGOC had to work even harder to find business partners.
"We expected a negative impact from the global financial crisis. But we just told companies that the Guangzhou Asian Games are not simply a copycat version of other international sporting events," Xu said.
After the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, many companies shunned sponsoring social and sporting events, Xu said.
"All we needed to do was let them know the Guangzhou Asian Games offered them a new brand-promoting chance. A great number of companies, especially local ones, realised that opportunity. That's why our efforts have paid off," Xu said.