According to survey results released by researchers from the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences (BASS), a chief think-tank in the Chinese capital, 85 per cent of those surveyed said they would watch the Games on TV, while 42 per cent would turn to newspapers and 35 per cent would listen to the radio.

Meanwhile, 24 per cent said they would go to the sports venues. And only 18 per cent of respondents said they would watch events on the Internet.

More than half of those surveyed, 52 per cent, said high prices would prohibit them from buying tickets to events, while 43 per cent noted their work may not allow them any spare time to see Olympic events.

Traffic was a concern for some respondents 31 per cent believed traffic jams would be likely, but few seemed to mention the hot weather as a problem during the Games.

BASS researchers Nian Wei and Wen Boneng did the survey last year. The survey covered a community in downtown Beijing that had "typical characteristics" of ordinary residents in the city, they said.

They published the results in the book "The Social Development Report of China's Capital (2006)" with a co-authored paper entitled "Research on the Sports Life and Olympic Knowledge of Community Residents in Beijing."

Popular events

A total of 54 per cent of the residents surveyed said they would follow basketball events during the Games, while 53 per cent said they would prefer table tennis.

Soccer is also a hot event at 49 per cent, followed by volleyball at 46 per cent, the survey showed.

Only 2 per cent said they would like to see softball. The percentage is the same for water polo, kayaking and modern pentathlon.

In the survey, most males said they preferred soccer and basketball, while females said they would like to see table tennis.

As to the motivation for watching events, 49 per cent of the residents surveyed said they wanted to see the competitive skills of the athletes, while 45 per cent said they liked the performance aspect.

And 45 per cent said they wanted to see Chinese athletes achieve good results. But few seemed to care about the atmosphere or the cost of tickets.

Olympic ticket prices

Nian also predicted the average ticket prices for the 2008 Games could be between US$20 and US$30.

Nian's research on Olympic ticket prices shows that the average price for Olympic events since 1972 has accounted for between 0.1 per cent and 0.5 per cent of the local per capita GDP. Nian said there should be a gap between high-cost and low-cost tickets for the 2008 Olympics.

He said per capita GDP for Beijing residents in the year 2008 could hit around US$6,000, and average ticket prices for the 2008 Games would therefore be between US$6 and US$30. Deducting other factors, he thought the best price range could be between US$20 and US$30.

Nian told China Daily that he thought some sports would see higher ticket prices such as basketball (US$39), diving (US$38), swimming and boxing (both US$37), followed by track and field events (US$36), synchronized swimming (US$34) and football (US$30).

Low-cost events could include rowing and shooting events (both US$10), archery and softball (both US$9).

"Other events could be priced between US$11 and US$27," he said.

Too high?

But some Beijingers have other ideas about ticket prices, according to the survey.

Some 42 per cent of the residents said they thought the average ticket prices for the 2008 Olympics should range between 20 yuan (US$2.5) and 50 yuan (US$6.15).

Only 23 per cent of residents responding to the survey said they could accept a price ranging between 50 yuan (US$6.15) and 100 yuan (US$12.3). None of the respondents said they wanted to spend over 1,000 yuan (US$123) on a ticket.

Nian said the people included in the survey sample had monthly incomes ranging from less than 500 yuan (US$61.6) to over 3,000 yuan (US$369.9).

"Though a price range between US$20 and US$30 is far below the average ticket prices for the Olympics in the past decades, it may be still hard to attract Beijing community residents to the sports venues," said Nian.

"I think the ticket price should be as low as possible, so that we common folks are willing to buy one to see a game. For me, I think 50 yuan (US$6.15) is OK," said Zhang Bin, a migrant worker from East China's Shandong Province, who now works as a security guard in Beijing's Chaoyang District.

Liu Huilin, an accountant in Haidian District, said she is willing to accept a ticket price above 200 yuan (US$24.6). "The Olympic Games in Beijing is a rare event. Even if the prices are a bit high, I would like to go," she said.

Locals see benefits

More than 70 per cent of those surveyed told the researchers they thought hosting the 2008 Olympics could help raise the international profile of the Chinese capital, and 42 per cent said the event is conducive to enhancing the cultural awareness of locals.

Some 41 per cent of the interviewees noted Beijing's infrastructure and environment would be improved through the Games, and 37 per cent said they are hopeful the city's employment rate will increase.

Moreover, some 28 per cent said they believed the sporting lives of Beijing residents would be enriched. And 22 per cent thought Beijing urbanites would get wealthier.

Most people, at 68 per cent, said the city should provide education on etiquette in the lead-up to the Olympics, while 64 per cent expected their English to improve.

More than half of the respondents, 54 per cent, wanted to see better publicity on security issues, while 36 per cent believed promoting Beijing's history and culture is important.