Founding of the Beijing Olympic Development Association
The Beijing Olympic Development Association (BODA) was founded in 2009 to take charge of developing the Olympic legacy as well as managing the financial surplus from the Games for the benefit of sport and culture.
A non-profit organisation, BODA oversees activities such as the organisation of Olympic-related conferences, exhibitions, events and forums. Though BODA is not responsible for operating competition venues built for Beijing 2008, which are maintained by a variety of owners such as private companies, local universities and governmental bodies, it works with them in supporting cultural and sports programmes and activities, all with the aim of ensuring and enhancing the post-Games use of the venues.
BODA celebrates urban sport and culture throughout the year, with activities peaking in August and September with the Beijing Olympic City Sports and Culture Festival. The starting point for the festival is China’s National Fitness Day on August 8, when around 40 events showcasing summer and winter sports and health and well-being activities are held, along with traditional Chinese arts and performances. The festivities continue with the Beijing International Sports Film Week and Olympic Education programmes later in the year.
Another flagship event is the yearly World Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo, which attracts more than 125,000 visitors and 500 exhibitors, and showcases winter sports equipment and technology, winter sports tourism and talent development.
Among the cultural events, the Beijing International Film Sports Week, created in 2005 by the Olympic Games Organising Committee and organised by BODA since 2009, celebrates sport and the Olympic spirit. The first 11 editions of the event showcased more than 300 films from over 30 countries.
The organisation also staged the Beijing International Youth Football Invitation Tournament and the World Junior Sudoku Championship. Now discontinued, these events attracted more than 1,000 primary and middle schools, and 200,000 students over a four-year period.
As the Olympic legacy organisation of both Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022, BODA is intent on enhancing its ability to maintain Olympic legacies and thereby promote high-quality development of the city and play a full role in terms of sport for all, international exchange, Olympic legacy studies and research, and the promotion of the Olympic spirit and culture.