Romanian president bids national Olympic team good luck in Beijing

BUCHAREST, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Romanian President Traian Basescu said on Saturday it would be a great joy for him to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games with his country's team.

The president participated in the presentation of Romania's Olympic team in Izvorani, 33 km north of the capital city Bucharest.

The 104-member Romanian team will compete in 15 sports at the Beijing Games. They are scheduled to leave on Sunday evening.

"I am not doing a political gesture by attending the opening of the Olympic Games together with other heads of state. I am first of all doing a symbolic gesture for Romania's delegation," said Basescu, adding that after the Games, he would meet the medal winners and other athletes in the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

"The people who competed with all their power for the glory of sports must be welcomed and respected by the whole nation, the headof state included," said Basescu.

The president voiced his belief that Romania's Olympic team will score good results in Beijing and the country's medals will grow in number.

"You have a history written in much gold, silver and bronze. You have 82 gold medals, 88 silver medals and 114 bronze medals. They stand for the performance and the sports history of the Romanian Olympic movement since 1952...It is a history that honors all of us," said the Romanian Head of State.

Basescu said all members of the national team had made special efforts to qualify for the Beijing Games. He expressed confidence that the Games will overwhelm the athletes with "glory and respect."

"We owe respect and glory not only to the sportsmen who will win medals. Any one of you will come back from Beijing overwhelmed with glory and respect as long as he or she will take part in the competition. The level of performance you had to reach to qualify for these Games is already something common people, common sportsmen cannot do," said Basescu.

He wished the Romanian sportsmen much success, assured them of his entire support and conveyed to them "the message of love and respect from the 22 million Romanians."

After the speech, the president handed Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee Chairman Octavian Morariu a national flag, which will be carried to Beijing, and received a team T-shirt in return.