GUANGZHOU, China - June 17, 2009 - The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Para Games, part of the worldwide Paralympic Movement and governed by the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), today announced that the Games will be held December 12 - 19, 2010, here in the Southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

At the press conference

This major sport event will follow the 16^th Asian Games and 19 sports are slated for competition by athletes with a disability.

The first Coordination Commission Meeting of the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) has concluded in Guangzhou, under the Host City Contract for the Guangzhou 2010 Para Games of Asia and Work Outline for the 2010 Para Games of Asia.

Attending this first Coordination Meeting in Guangzhou was:

Mr Dato' Zainal Abu Zarin, President of the APC;

Mr Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC);

Mr Jia Yong, Vice President of National Paralympic Committee of China (NPCC)

Mr Xu Ruisheng, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou Municipal Government

Guangzhou will host both the 16^th Asian Games and the 2010 Para Games of Asia, marking the first time the two Games have been be held in one city.

Coordination meeting attendees agreed that the 2010 Para Games of Asia will strongly promote the development of sport in Asia; create all new opportunities for athletes with a disability across China and throughout Asia and that it would also have a lasting impact on the fostering of a more civilised society in Guangzhou.

The 2010 Asian Para Games will feature 19 sports, including 17 Paralympic sports and two non-Paralympic sports. The 17 Paralympic sports are:

Athletics

Swimming

Archery

Shooting

Boccia

Wheelchair Fencing

Powerlifting

Judo

Goalball

Football 7-a-Side

Cycling

Wheelchair Tennis

Rowing

Table Tennis

Volleyball Sitting

Wheelchair Basketball

Football 5-a-Side

The two non-Paralympic sports will be Badminton and Bowling.

Fifteen sports among them - Athletics, Swimming, Archery, Shooting, Wheelchair Fencing, Powerlifting, Judo, Goalball, Football 7-a-Side, Cycling, Wheelchair Tennis, Table Tennis, Volleyball Sitting, Wheelchair Basketball and Football 5-a-Side - will also be included in the London 2010 Paralympic Games. And athletes' results in these sports will betaken as qualification pointsfor the London Paralympics.

At the Coordination Meeting, a decision was made that the number of disciplines under the 19 sports will not exceed 470.

Some 3,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions are expected to attend the Games, along with 2,000 team officials and approximately 1,100 technical officials. It is anticipated that more than 2,000 journalists will cover the Games and 30,000 volunteers will be recruited. In addition, more than 300 VIPs from the Paralympic Family will be invited.

There will be 26 venues for the Games, including 19 competition venues and seven training venues, clustered in four major areas:

Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre

Tianhe Sports Centre

Higher Education Mega Centre

Asian Games Town

These venues will be equally shared by both the 16^th Asian Games and the Asian Para Games. At the Coordination meeting, representatives from the IPC, APC and NPCC and international experts issued guidelines on the preparations for the Games.

(Translated by WANG Lei and edited by Jeff RUFFOLO) (The End)