Egypt's media hail Beijing Winter Olympics opening show as "amazing," "impressive"

CAIRO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian media have hailed the opening ceremony of Beijing Winter Olympics as "amazing" and "impressive," which reflects the depth of the Chinese civilization and the role of sports in bringing people together.

The opening ceremony is "innovative," Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said in a headline on its website, citing Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee. "Today, we can say that China is a country for winter sports."

About 3,000 performers participated in the opening ceremony on Friday, which was attended by more than 30 state leaders, members of royal families and heads of international organizations.

"The spirit of solidarity" is seen in the opening ceremony, the Egyptian news website quoted the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying, hoping the spirit will reflect in the international cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youm 7, an Egyptian independent newspaper, said the shows presented at the opening ceremony were "spectacular." The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics would mark the beginning of a new era for winter sports around the world, the newspaper quoted Bach as saying.

The paper also noted that Beijing will host the Games in an atmosphere of festival, as the big event coincides with the Spring Festival, which marks the Chinese New Year.

Shorouk, another well-known Egyptian newspaper, hailed the ceremony as "wonderful" in an article. Meanwhile, several Egyptian satellite TV channels, including CBC Extra News and Ten TV, highlighted the "dazzling" ceremony in Beijing and expounded on how it reflected the impressiveness of the Chinese culture and civilization.

Describing the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as "a global event," Nile Sport, a popular TV channel in Egypt, said that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's attendance of the opening ceremony reflects the close and strategic relations between Egypt and China.

Beijing has become the first city in the world to host both summer and winter Olympic Games. The Games has brought together about 2,900 athletes from 91 countries and regions to compete for 109 gold medals, a record in the 98-year history of the Winter Olympics.