Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said he is eager to attend the upcoming opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games together with President Demetris Christofias, and believes the Games will be a great success.

Stefanou said he is fortunate enough to attend the opening ceremony, which will be held in Beijing on the evening of Aug. 8, 2008.

Cyprus' Minister of Education and Culture, who is in charge of sports affairs, along with other high-ranking Cypriot officials, will also attend the ceremony, Stefanou said.

"I feel very lucky to have this opportunity. It is an opportunity of a lifetime. You have such an opportunity probably only once in your life," he said.

"The Cypriot people have followed the whole process of the Beijing Olympics since the Athens Olympics in 2004 and await the opening of the Beijing Games," he added.

"We are sure that China will organize the best Olympics ever," Stefanou said, adding "we are very sure about this, bearing in mind the achievements that China and its people have made in recent years, in the social aspect and economic aspects."

Cypriot athletes have never won a medal at an Olympics. But in recent years, some Cypriot athletes have achieved eye-catching achievements.

The spokesman mentioned high jumper Kyriakos Ioannou, who secured a bronze medal in the World Championships in Osaka last year, and Markos Baghdatis, a popular Cypriot tennis player, who won the China Open championship in 2006.

"If they manage to win something (in Beijing), it will be great," Stefanou said.

Stefanou, born in 1965, played football for four years with the teenage football team Omonoia of Nicosia, and was an player with the Cyprus National Youth Team.

He said, "I made a joke. If they (the Cypriot delegation of athletes) want an athlete, I'm ready too."

"We know that the government of China, its Olympic committee and the Chinese people are very committed (to the Olympics). They work with enthusiasm," Stefanou said.

"China will succeed. China will hold the best Olympic Games in the history of the Olympics," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2008)