David Beckham Visits Beijing As Olympic Ambassador

David Beckham will be in Beijing to take part in the closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the official handover to London 2012. Beckham who helped in UK’s bid to host the event is native to east London and passionate about promoting the Olympic spirit to youth.



The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have been the most successful for team Great Britain since 1908, the soccer star is keen to play an active role in encouraging more kids from the UK and around the globe to take up sport.

Beckham also joins a host of top athletes involved in the adidas Impossible is Nothing campaign, who created personal canvases showcasing their insights as athletes, and will be auctioned for charity this October in Hong Kong. The inspirational canvas from David Beckham and 9 other international sports stars including Ian Thorpe, Gilbert Arenas and Russian pole vaulting sensation Yelena Isinbayeva, have been on display this past month at the ’Sport in Art’ exhibition in Beijing.

Beckham’s canvas will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong this October with proceeds going to Right to Play China and The Victoria and David Beckham Children’s Charity based in London.

SHOT LIST OF PICTURES & SOUND BITES (all English):
DB arriving at adidas store, Santilun, Beijing, China

DB in store
DB SOUDBITE - q. What has been the most interesting moment of this Games so far?
I’m interested in the whole games. Us as a nation Great Britain has done so well. It makes it extra special when so many of our athletes have done so well in these Games, so many medals and so many successes. It makes it very special, I was in London last week with the England team and I was able to watch a lot of the Games, Michael Phelps and Chris Hoy. Chris Hoy is a great story because he is so talented and he has worked so hard and when you hear his father speaks so passionately about him its an amazing experience so to watch all of those talented people I think its all about that.
DB in store
DB SOUDBITE - q. Your views on London 2012?
So 2012, it’s not about the opening Ceremony and what its going to be like, and is London going to better that? I don’t think its about bettering the Opening Ceremony, I think its about making people realise what London is all about, what our country is all about and what Great Britain is all about. We are very proud people, we are very passionate about sports and we will make it an amazing Olympics.
DB in store
DB SOUDBITE - q. Tell us about your role as 2012 ambassador?
Im just happy to be part of the committee and also part of 2012, especially being an East End boy, for it to be in the East End of London and regenerate that excitement back in the sport and back in the East End of London because I know how passionate it is about football in that part of England, so to actually be part of the committee I’m very proud of that.
DB in the store
DB SOUDBITE - q. What can England look forward to in build up to 2012?
Like I said the success of this Games has made people realise how great 2012 is going to be. You have kids in London and kids in England now who want to watch the Olympics, want to go out running, want to go out cycling and want to be involved in it, so if we can get a hold of the world like the Olympics does, I think that would be the success
DB in store
DB SOUDBITE- q. Have England been following the Games?
I really noticed it, being in London last week, seeing the hype and seeing everything that kids wanted to be involved in, you see kids out running on the streets and doing different things and cycling out there, It just gets that excitement from children and so many different people in the world and I think that is what is great about the Olympics it has that excitement that can change peoples lives.
DB In front of his canvas
DB SOUDBITE - q. Tell us about your painting and what will happen to it?
I think what’s great about this idea is it that it will go to auction, the money that is raised from the auction will go to 2 different charities. One is the Right to Play charity which is helping people and children in China, they get sportswear and footballs around the world which is great for kids. The other one is mine and Victoria’s Charity, which is a children’s charity which we started up a few years ago and we are very passionate about. Its something like this that can raise so much money for so many people around the world so it’s a great idea.
DB In front of his canvas
DB walking through mi coach adidas in store
David Beckham meeting Jet Li in store
DB leaving the store



B ROLL
DB SOUDBITE
q.
I think that’s one of the things that is clear from this Olympics, the amount of money, the amount of lottery money that has gone in to athletics has made such a huge difference. If you look at the cycling there was something like £4 to £4-5 million that was put into cycling last year and now that’s up to £8 million for this Olympics. You see the difference and you see the amount of medals and the success we have had from the grass roots and from money being pumped into sports and if you have that thing you can do there are great things you can do from that.
DB GVs
DB SOUNDBITE
q. Do you regret not taking part in the Olympics in you athletic career so far?
I think it would have been nice. Seeing the atmosphere here, this is the first Olympics I’ve actually been to live so to actually see the atmosphere to fell the atmosphere and to feel the excitement around Beijing has been pretty incredible and it is exciting.
DB signing autographs
q.Tell us about you IIN canvas painting that is up for auction in October?
When adidas came to me about this idea, I think it was a great concept, it was one of the best ideas that adidas have come up. Because there are so many athletes that have so many different stories, and especially Impossible with Is Nothing stories and this was my story. As my story as soon as they said to me you have to think of one story and put it onto a canvas this was the one that came to m y mind as Id had in 98 a red card and that was tough for me as a player and as a person. 4 years later I came through that and a few years later I scored the free kick against Greece and I was captain. It’s just everything I believe in and its just everything I think is my Impossible is Nothing moment. So to have the strength, the family and belief is something I thought was a tunring moment in my life