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All set for a fantastic show

By Zheng Caixiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-11 08:28

GUANGZHOU - All preparations for the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Para Games competitions have been in place for at least a week, according to a senior official from the Guangzhou Asian Para Games Organizing Committee (GAPGOC).

Kong Maosheng, deputy director of the competitions department of GAPGOC, said all 19 competition venues, plus six training sites, the venues' barrier-free facilities and equipment had been checked and accepted aft er fi ve testing competitions at the venues over the past few weeks.

"The competition and training venues will be available to all of the athletes starting on Wednesday," Kong said at a press conference in Guangzhou on Tuesday.

"Meanwhile, referees, technical officials, related staff and volunteers for the games are all ready for the opening of the games," Kong said.

The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Para Games, which opens on Sunday, will feature seven days of competition from Dec 13-19. The event will feature 19 sports: athletics, shooting, archery, soccer (5-aside

and 7-a-side), swimming, badminton, wheelchair tennis, tenpin bowling, bocce, judo, goal-ball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair basketball, volleyball (sitting), marathon cycling (road), cycling (track), powerlift ing, table tennis and rowing.

A total of 2,512 athletes, including 886 wheelchair competitors, from 41 nations and regions in Asia will compete for more than 300 gold medals during the games.

The event will also attract 1,451 team officials, 1,094 technical officials and a large number of media from around the world.

The host country will fi eld a total of 448 athletes. Of them, 76 were champions at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics Games, according to Kong. Chinese athletes will compete in all of the events in Guangzhou.

China Daily