BEIJING, July 2 -- Nearly 800 journalists have been accredited to cover the 25th Universiade as of Monday noon, and 60 percent of them come from overseas, a Universiade press officer told Xinhua in Belgrade.

    Soundbite: Aleksandar Markovic, press officer for the 25th Universiade "This moment we have about 750 journalists who give their applications and we should (approve) accreditations. I think we have around 300 foreigner journalists from abroad not Serbia."Most of the foreign journalists come from European countries, Canada, China and Japan, Markovic said.

    He added the press center is fully prepared to serve the journalists.

    The 25th Universiade opens on July 1 and wraps up on July 12 in Belgrade.

    Nearly 9,000 athletes from 142 countries and regions will compete in 15 sports.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Belgrade.