Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing (center) and Timothy Fok (right), president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China visit the 2009 East Asian Games media center. The center officially opened yesterday. Edmond Tang

HONG KONG: The East Asian Games (EAG) media center that will serve more than 2,400 local and overseas journalists opened yesterday, with the multi-sport event being just 12 days away.

The press room at the 2,000-square-meter media hub at the Hong Kong Central Library in Causeway Bay has 20 desktops that can access the EAG intranet with the most updated competition itineraries and results, plus 18 Internet-linked desktops and 358 ports that can connect to journalists' laptops.

"I am quite satisfied with the arrangements here," said Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing. "We aim to assist overseas and local journalists in reporting the East Asian Games and related news in the most convenient way," he promised.

Some 14 out of the 15 booths at the broadcasting center inside the media center have been leased to seven media agencies, including China Central Television and Radio Television Hong Kong, a spokesman for the 2009 East Asian Games (HK) said.

The spokesman said the media center, at a renovation cost of about HK$1.5 million, can allow about 250 journalists to work inside at any one time.

The center also has a 290-seat press conference theatre.

In addition, a media room will open at each of the 21 competition venues for use of journalists during the Games.

After touring the center, a local reporter who wished to remain anonymous said, "The space should be enough, but I am not sure about whether the operation will be smooth when the Games start. I can anticipate chaos when star athletes arrive. The staff seems not so familiar with media operations."

The spokesman said press information will mainly be delivered in Chinese and English, and interpreters may be on hand to help athletes who speak other languages or dialects communicate with the press if necessary.

The Games will open on December 5, featuring a fireworks display in the Victoria Harbour, which is expected to light up the night.

Decorated vessels with characteristics of the nine participating places, including Japan and Mongolia, will arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow, Tsang said.

(HK Edition 11/24/2009 page1)