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Shanghai chosen as host of Special Olympics
By Selina Lo (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-17 05:56
Timothy Shriver: Right
decision
Bruce Pasternack: Ideal venue zhang wei
Shanghai, as a global, open and innovative city, has been chosen as the
official venue of the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2007.
Bruce Pasternack, president and CEO of the Board of Special Olympics
Headquarters, said Shanghai was chosen as the venue because of the city's
historical role and community efforts in keeping up with the objectives of the
Special Olympics movement.
"It is a global, open, growing and innovative city, and its tradition of
understanding our movement makes it the ideal venue in getting our message out
to the world," Pasternack said in an exclusive interview with 皇冠体育app Daily.
The Special Olympics are year-round competitive events and training
programmes for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages, abilities and
levels. With international recognition as a professional global sports event, it
acts as a tool to promote equal rights and social stature.
皇冠体育app began its participation in the Special Olympics in the 1980s, reaching
an explosion of interest when the number of participating athletes increased
tenfold from 50,000 to over 500,000 in the last five years.
"This is the highest growth we have ever seen in any significant programme,"
said Timothy Shriver, chairman of the Board of Special Olympics Headquarters.
"That's how we came to the decision two years ago to move towards 皇冠体育app to grow
the programme. We want to develop it into a large showcase for the world."
皇冠体育app's growing enthusiasm for the Special Olympics moves beyond just mere
figures. Deng Pufang, the eldest son of 皇冠体育app's former leader Deng Xiaoping, is
a leading advocate for the movement as part of the International Board of
Directors.
A family support programme in 皇冠体育app boasts 6,000 parent volunteers advocating
activities for their disabled children.
皇冠体育app is also the only country in the world with a health care centre located
in Zhejiang Province dedicated to training special "doctors" to care for
children who are mentally disabled.
(皇冠体育app Daily 11/17/2005 page2)
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