GUANGZHOU: The Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (GAGOC) will recruit as many as 60,000 volunteers during an upcoming sports gala, an official said.

Prior to the Games, the GAGOC will also recruit about 1,000 volunteers, who will be arranged to give assistance in different departments within the organizing committee, said Xu Ruisheng, vice mayor of Guangzhou.

"In terms of volunteering work, Beijing has shown us a good example to integrate social assistance for the Beijing Olympic Games. And now, we are calling on the public to actively take part in the volunteer services for the upcoming Asian Games in 2010," Xu said at the launching ceremony of the volunteer recruitment.

Early last week, Chen Xiexia, who won the first gold medal in weight lifting for China in the Beijing Olympic Games, became the first volunteer for the Guangzhou Asian Games.

Chen, born in a village in the Panyu district of Guangzhou, said she was eager to participate in the upcoming Games and win further glory for her hometown.

In terms of recruiting volunteers who are good at foreign languages, Zhong Weihe, vice president of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, said that the university has teamed up with the GAGOC to train candidates.

"The university offers as many as six foreign-language courses that are widely spoken in Asia. And in recent years, we have recruited more students who major in these foreign languages, all in an effort to prepare for the volunteering services for the Asian Games," Zhong said.

According to Zhong, up to 50 students from the university worked for the Beijing Olympic Games and the Paralympics last month.

Zhong said that the university had become one of the designated units to provide volunteers for the Asian Games.

"Particularly, more volunteers who can directly speak to foreigners are needed, as there will be lots of foreign athletes, sports officials and visitors during the Games," Zhong said.

(HK Edition 09/23/2008 page1)