Olympic pre-tournament training session of table tennis, which has been in operation since July 22, shut the door to media throughout the duration of Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on Aug. 8-24.

"The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), table tennis' world governing body, has asked the Beijing Olympics organizers to guarantee close-door training in Haidian Gymnasium," Ye Xingzeng, director to venue media operating team of Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), told Xinhua here Wednesday.

Hall One and Hall Two of the Haidian Cluster Gymnasium have been appointed the training field for teams participating in the Olympic table tennis competitions slated from Aug. 13 to 23 at the Peking University Gymnasium, no more than 1,000 meters away from the Haidian compounds and 9 minutes bus drive from the Olympic Complex.

"In principle, all trainings in Olympic stadiums should open to media except dedicated request by sports' world ruling bodies," he added. "As I've been informed, close-door trainings of table tennis and gymnastics have been requested during the Beijing Games."

It's not an exclusive decision made by the BOCOG as the table tennis training hall of the Athens Olympic Games four years ago had also shut the door to media and other staff besides team officials and athletes.

To respond to what Ye said, officials taking in charge of the soccer training service in Haidian Cluster told media that interviews could be made with a permit after pre-application.

"If journalists want to view the next day's soccer training, you should apply in ahead and make your interview with accompanying officials appointed by the training service team," said Xiang Kun, a volunteer working for security keep at the gate of the Haidian Cluster.

Only some training sessions scheduled at the main competitive hall of the Peking University Gymnasium on Aug. 9-12, which have been marked with "open to media" on the viewing page of the info2008 system operated by the organizers, will allow journalist and photographers in.

The Haidian Gymnasium will open for table tennis training from July 22 to Sept. 16, throughout the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the underground training hall inside the Peking University Gymnasium, which will neither open to media, will start operation on Aug. 6 before the main hall opens for warm-ups starting on Aug. 9.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2008)