Third National Special Olympic Games to Be Held in Xi'anAs learnt from the news briefing in Beijing Tuesday the third China National Special Olympic Games will be held in August 2002 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. It will be the first comprehensive special Olympic Games held by China in the new century as well as a grand event for the 60 million disabled persons and their family members.The Special Olympic Games is sponsored by China Disabled Persons' Federation, State Sports General Administration and Special Olympics of China (SOC), undertaken by Shaanxi Provincial government, and supported by Top Group. Deng Pufang, chairman of China Disabled Persons'Federation, and Yan Mingfu, chairman of SOC, attended the news briefing and made speeches, and present at it was also Zhang Faqiang, deputy director of China State Sports General Administration. According to Zhang Wei, director of the preparatory committee for the third National Special Olympic Games and deputy governor of Shaanxi Province, the third Special Olympic Games will set up six formal events, including the track and field, swimming, weight lifting, basketball, football and table tennis. Bowling will be on the list of performing item. Thirty-one provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan will send their teams to the games. Some foreign Special Olympic organizations from ROK, Singapore and Malaysia, etc, will also send their players to join the games. According to estimation, there will be 1,200 athletes, 500 coaches and referee, and other officials to come to Xi'an. To guarantee a happy life and smooth games, Shaanxi Province will invite 3,000 volunteers to provide full service to the Special Olympic Games. Meanwhile, the preparatory committee, in view of the special requests by the SOC, has set going the preparation work for gymnasium reconstruction and equipment purchase. By PD Online staff member Du MInghua |
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