Beijing- IOC boss Jacques Rogge gave "clear support" for Beijing's bid to host the 2008 Games in return for China's backing for his presidency, China's former sports minister was quoted as saying in a new book seen on Monday. When Yuan Weimin, the former sports minister, met him in early 2001, Rogge thanked China for "expressing support for him many times," Yuan said in the book by Yuan Shan.
Beijing Mayor Liu Qi, who later headed the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, also attended that meeting, just months before the IOC met to select the host city for the 2008 Games from Beijing, Paris, Istanbul and Toronto.
"He (Rogge) also told Mayor Liu Qi that he completely supported Beijing's bid," Yuan said.
"But he asked China to understand him, that he could not express it openly because he himself was the president of the European Olympic Committee, and Paris and Istanbul were both in Europe," he said.
But Yuan said Rogge agreed to "do some work for Beijing."
"I think it was enough for Rogge to have this attitude, it was very clear and very concrete," he said.
IOC officials have denied that Rogge entered into any agreement with Beijing's bidding committee.
"Jacques Rogge was elected IOC President by a large majority. As a candidate, he built his campaign on a strong programme that was widely welcome by IOC members. Any insinuation that deals would have been made is absolutely false," the IOC told German Press Agency
