Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Games Organizing Committee (LOCOG), paid tribute to Asian organizers and Games hosts during a progress report at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly on Friday.

Coe said that the Beijing Olympics in 2008 had "energized" the organizers of the London Games, and he fully endorsed the comments of IOC President Jacques Rogge that they were "a truly exceptional Games".

"Beijing had set new standards and left a spectacular legacy for the Olympic Movement," said the former Olympic champion, who won gold in men's 1,500m sprint at both the Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 Games.

"We learned much from Beijing and before that from the Asian Games in Doha in 2006, and we will continue learning at the next Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010," he added.

Coe also assured the delegates of OCA about London and saying, "We are on track and we are on budget."

The OCA General Assembly was held here alongside with the first Asian Youth Games, which was opened on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2009)