The Guangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (GAGOC) is pleased to announce that the recruitment of over 560,000 Asian Games and Asian Para Games volunteers will begin next week.
"We look forward to receiving volunteer applications for the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games and Asian Para Games from all social sectors and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese, Chinese students studying abroad and international friends," said Wang Huanqing, Director of the Volunteer Department of GAGOC.
Mr Wang made his comments at a press conference here in Guangzhou where he briefed reporters on the preparations for volunteer recruitment for the Guangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games.
Specifically, Mr Wang said the volunteer recruitment programme for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games will begin at 9 pm on April 21, 2009, with the final deadline for applications in September 2010.
The programme will be divided into two parts - the Games-time Volunteer Project and City Volunteer Project.
Wang estimates that 60,000 people will be recruited as Games-time volunteers for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games, among whom 40,000 will be generalist volunteers and 20,000 will be specialist volunteers.
Games-time volunteers will be involved in a wide range of services, including reception, translating and interpreting services, transportation, security services, medical care, spectator services, goods distribution, communication liaison, as well as support for competition organization, venue operations, news operations and cultural event organisation.
Some 500,000 city volunteers will also be recruited for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games.
There will be three kinds of city volunteer - volunteers at city volunteering service stations, social volunteers and cheerleading volunteers.
During the Guangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games, volunteers will be involved in services facilitating normal urban operations, building favourable social atmosphere, promoting civilised behavior among spectators and creating harmonious environment.
(WANG Lei and Jeff RUFFOLO)
