A total of 23 events have been on display in Shanghai on Sunday
as part of the celebrations to mark the 100-day countdown to the
Shanghai Special Olympics 2007.
The celebrations were spearheaded by a jogging attended by at
least 20,000 citizens, including some mentally handicapped
people.
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Donations are made as part of the celebrations to mark the
100-day countdown to Shanghai Special Olympics 2007.(Xinhua
Photo)
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The mini-marathon was augmented by art shows, rummage sale,
autograph-signing and some donating ceremonies.
"I came here to give my support to those mentally handicapped
people, they are born equal," said Wang Junxia, China's former
5,000-meter Olympic champion, who headed the jogging. "And they can
compete and live as everybody else does. I would like to call on
the attention from all the corners of the society to those
people."
According to Han Zheng, mayor of Shanghai and Chairman of the
organizing committee of the Special Olympics, all the preparation
has been well underway, with building a harmonious ambiance for the
Games and the mentally handicapped people as the priority.
"We don't build new venues, we don't make profits from the
Games, all we need to do is make it public and have more people
involved to create a civilized and harmonious environment for the
mentally handicapped people," Han said at Sunday's Special Olympics
100-day countdown ceremony.
The 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in
Shanghai from Oct. 2 to 11. More than 10,000 athletes and coaches,
20,000 family members from over 160 countries and regions are
expected to show up.
A kid poses for photos in front of a sculpture of the mascot of
the Shanghai Special Olympics 2007 and a countdown board on Sunday,
June 24, 2007. 23 events are on display in Shanghai on the day as
part of the celebrations to mark the 100-day countdown to the
event. (Xinhua Photo)
Xi Jinping (center), the secretary of the Communist Party of
China (CPC) Shanghai Municipal Committee and two representatives of
mentally retarded athletes push the button to unveil the 100-day
countdown timer, June 24, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)
(CRIENGLISH.com June 25, 2007)
