We cannot force change in China: IOC chief

BEIJING (Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee, criticized by many for handing China the 2008 Games, is devoted to sports and cannot force changes in a sovereign state, IOC chief Jacques Rogge said on Sunday.

The IOC was "extremely pleased" with the organization of the August 8-24 Games and he praised the host country for putting athletes at their centre, he told a news conference.

Rogge has long defended the IOC's decision to host the Games in China after criticism from activist groups questioning Beijing's human rights track record. He says the IOC is not a political organization.

"The IOC and the Olympic Games cannot force changes on sovereign nations or solve all the ills of the world," Rogge told an IOC session in Beijing hours before the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.

"But we can -- and we do -- contribute to positive change through sport."

CONSTANT ATTACK

The IOC was under constant attack in the months leading up to the Games, accused of doing nothing to pressure Beijing to improve human rights and change its policies towards Sudan's Darfur and China's western region of Tibet.

Games organizers had promised several changes to existing policies including improvement of China's human rights and media freedom when Beijing won the Games, but not all were kept.

The Games have gone without any major organizational hitch but organizers and the IOC faced daily fierce criticism by the media on an number of issues, including over Internet access, human rights and Tibet, throughout the Games.

Rogge said one of the most important intangible legacies of the Games was the host country had been "scrutinized" by the world and had opened itself up to the world.

"The world learned more about China, and China learned more about the rest of the world. And together, we shared the excitement and drama of the Games," Rogge said.

"We are first and foremost an organization devoted to sport, but it is sport with a purpose.

"Placing sport at the service of mankind and leveraging Olympic values to promote better understanding between people, nations and religions stands at the core of our mission."

WHITE ELEPHANTS

Other intangible legacies of the Games included a heightened awareness of the environment in China and an intention by Chinese officials to invest heavily in mass sports, Rogge said.

China has topped the medals table at these Games for the first time, leaving the United States well in its wake.

Rogge praised the "very intelligent" decision to put many of the venues built for the Games in universities so they would be used by students in the future.

"No white elephants have been built and the after-Games use is optimal," he said.

Rogge, whose first eight-year term ends next year, said widespread criticism of the IOC over the Beijing Games would not influence his decision whether to run for a four-year term.

He has said he would announce his decision in October.

"(Criticism) is not going to be of any influence in my decision. The organization (IOC) was criticized but that is not a problem."

Rogge said the London 2012 Games would have a hard act to follow but he sounded confident Britain would meet expectations.

"It is clear that China has put the bar very high and it is going to be a challenge for London and all subsequent Games," he said.

"There are issues that London cannot copy or equal ... But my hope is that London can put the bar even higher ... and I believe that London has unique assets."

(Editing by Nick Macfie)