World leaders and media have hailed the Beijing Olympics as a big success.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, during his TV and radio program "Alo Presidente," said "China made the best Olympics in history."

He said the organization was perfect and hailed the happiness and calm atmosphere around the Olympic Games.

President of the Panamanian Federation of Athletics Ricardo Sasso echoed Chavez's comments by saying that "these have been one of the best Olympic Games."

Ramon Cardoze, president of the Panamanian Institute of Sports, said the closing ceremony was "excellent and extraordinary."

Indonesian Olympic Committee President Rita Subowo told Xinhua by phone that Indonesian athletes feel satisfied with everything arranged at the Beijing Olympics.

Seeing excellent organization and a high level of competition, Subowo planned to put his comments into a report which he will submit to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

A Monday commentary in the New Zealand Herald called the decision made by the IOC on making Beijing host of the Olympics a right one as Beijing presented outstanding organization and state-of-the-art venues.

Praising Beijing's effective measures to keep the environment clean, it said the Beijing Olympics would leave the world a lasting memory.

The New Zealand Press Association Monday praised the showcase Bird's Nest, the National Stadium of China, and Beijing's outstanding organization of the event.

An article titled "Proud China brings curtain down on epic Games" and posted on the Dominion Post said that "over the past two weeks, Beijing has wowed the visiting world with its superlative venues, army of smiling volunteers, glitch-free transport and seamless organization."

The Beijing Olympics reached its apotheosis with Sunday night's closing ceremony, according to an article published on the website of the Algerian official newspaper El Moudjahid on Sunday.

The article said the closing ceremony was spectacular, noting that China not only successfully hosted the Games, but also won victory in the match.

China has also given the whole world an insight into the level of development since its opening-up policy was adopted 30 years ago, the article said.

The article also highly praised the Chinese volunteers for their enormous work, adding that "thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone, the 29th Olympiad has highlighted the true values of the Olympics: excellence, friendship and respect."

In Vietnam, the Youth newspaper said Beijing has impressed the world and participants with its organization work.

During the 16 days, Beijing received almost no complaints about the weakness of serving work, volunteers and sporting facilities, said the Youth.

Mexican commentator Paco Gabriel de Anda from the sports supplement "Adrenalina" of the daily Excelsior said that China organized the best Olympics of the history, "regarding their organization, inauguration and closure they have made us to be excited till the tears."

"After the Olympic flame turned off, China gets a grade of 10," Mexican sports commentator Jose Ramon Fernandez said.

Mexican TV chain Television Azteca praised the Bird's Nest and said the closing ceremony was a "party of perfection and aesthesis."

Nicaraguan electronic daily "El Observador" said that Beijing finished the Olympics "with another amazing" ceremony which had a "memorable perfect aesthesis."

In the United States, the Los Angeles Times said the Beijing Olympics "were a triumph of the will for a people and a government determined to show their skill and confidence as both athletes and organizers, to a world that once treated China as a weak, servile nation."

Doping never became the issue at the games with fewer cases of positives samples have been found, the paper said.

The sky fell into the "blue" category, it said, noting "the Beijing Olympics wound up looking as most expected."

(Xinhua News Agency August 26, 2008)