The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games of the PRC kicked off

The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games of the PRC kicked off on December 09. It’s the first session of the Games that is held jointly by Guangdong Province, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR of the nation. And, it’s the second time in the record that the Games happens in the same area and period with the National Games of the PRC.

The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and 9th National Special Olympic Games includes 46 sports programs and attracts 7824 athletes of 34 delegation teams. Both the size of the delegation teams and the quantity of the athletes participating in the recreational sports programs reach the record high.

Yong Zhijun -- executive vice secretary-general of the organizing committee of the Games introduced that the session of the Games covers 1876 events of 46 sports programs (with 6 winter ones completed), including 131 events of 11 recreational sports programs and 599 events of 9 Special Olympic sports programs. Guangdong province hosts 34 sports programs, Hong Kong hosts 4 sports programs and table tennis class-11 events, and Macao hosts 2 sports programs. In detail, 11 cities in the Guangdong -- Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) co-host the games. Until now, some sports have commences or finished. During December 08-15, 5398 athletes, 2746 referees, 115 classifiers, as well as 2772 coaches and service workers, participate in or serve the Games, with the total number surging 30 percents from last session to over 11,000.

The 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games of the PRC keeps persisted in the idea of “being green, shared, open and honest”, and the standards of “being simple, safe and colorful”. Being economical, the Games shares, with the 15th National Games, some venues, facilities, technical infrastructure, information systems and the like.

Guangdong province has prepared 36 venues for the hosting of the Games, among which 22 ones are shared with the 15th National Games, introduced by Chen Xuejun, deputy director of Guangdong Organizing Committee of the Games. And improvement and upgrade have been made to the facilities and equipment at the venues, like accessible elevators, wheelchair ramps, tactile paving, while wheelchair-accessible seats and care seats have been added at the spectator stands, so as to make the venues more accessible to the athletes and spectators with disabilities. Moreover, the improved facilities and equipment are sustainable.

Chen added that the power of science and technology is demonstrated in the every stage of the Games.

Currently, the volunteers for the games have been gradually on duty, serving the athletes and spectators. In total, Guangdong Province has mobilized about 15,000 volunteers for the Games.

Yang Deqiang, director of Hong Kong Coordination Office of the Games said that Special-Olympic table tennis has begun on December 06 as the first event held in Hong Kong, Boccia and wheelchair fencing would be held on December 09, and Table Tennis -- class 11, as an event under the Games would begin on December 11. “We would join hand with Guangdong Province and Macao to host jointly a sports carnival and to exemplify the power of life and spirit of sports”, Yang added.

Ke Lan, deputy director of the organizing committee of the Games and director of Secretariat of Social Culture of Macao SAR, said that Macao has made all-round preparations to welcome the athletes. “We’d make every athlete feel the warmth filled in the place, and respect and cheer their persistence and passion”, Ke added.

Reference: Xinhua

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