Guangzhou, September 3 - Today, the Guangzhou Asian Para Games is 100 days to go! Kong Maosheng, Deputy Director of the Sports Department of the Guangzhou Asian Para Games Organising Committee (GAPGOC), announced that the sports programme of the Games is almost ready at a press conference.
GAPGOC holds a press conference in Guangzhou on September 3.
The Games will feature 19 sports, including 17 Paralympic sports and two non-Paralympic sports (Badminton and Bowling). Athletes attending the Games will use 19 competition venues and six non-competition venues. All the 19 competition venues are also competition venues for the 16th Asian Games, while five of the six training venues are Asian Games training venues (except the Guangzhou Administration Centre for Paralympic Sports) as well, which saves a large amount of resources.
Guangzhou has held five test events for the Asian Para Games, including those for Goalball, Wheelchair Tennis, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball and Boccia.
Competitions of the Games will span seven days, from December 13 to 19. It is planned that 432 events will be included in the Games, though the number might be slightly adjusted if there are not enough participants for some events. Version 1.2 of the General Competition Schedule has been approved by technical delegates of all sports and the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), while Version 2.0 of the Competition Schedule by Session has been compiled.
According to Mr Kong, the entry by number for the Games was launched on July 7, 2010 and 40 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) have submitted their forms with an aggregate number of 2,532 athletes. The entry by name started on August 12 and the deadline is October 12.
The Games will involve 263 international technical officials, 642 domestic technical officials, 72 classifiers and 105 medical officers.
In terms of competition organisation, the 2010 Asian Para Games aims to match the Paralympics, leaving the former FESPIC Games (the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled) far behind.
The next Asian Games and Asian Para Games will be held in South Korean city Incheon four years later.
(Wang Lei)
