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Beijing Gears up for 2008 Paralympic Games

In 2008, China's capital Beijing will host two of the world's most prestigious sporting competitions, the 29th Olympic and 13th Paralympic games. As with its elder cousin's preparations, the Beijing Municipal Government's preparations for the Paralympic Games are moving apace. A marketing programme has been launched and every effort is being made to ensure the best of service for Paralympic athletes and their fans.

July 13, 2001, was a day of jubilation across China. This was when Beijing won the right to host the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic games.

"Beijing is going to host two excellent Olympic games in 2008, the Olympics and the Paralympics," said Guo Jianmo, council chairman of the Chinese Federation for Disabled.

"With the operation of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games running smoothly, the plans and preparation for the Paralympic Games are also mapped out and are being implemented on schedule."

A Paralympics Department has been set up at the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad to co-ordinate preparations for the Paralympic Games, while other departments have divisions and staff responsible for the Paralympic Games. This is in keeping with a June 19, 2001, agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympics Committee (IPC) that was designed to secure and protect the organisation of the Paralympic Games and ensure the Paralympic Games would be held in Olympic facilities. The first application of this agreement will come in Beijing in 2008.

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Marketing Programme was officially launched on June 5 before about 500 Chinese and international leaders.

Unveiled by BOCOG President Liu Qi, along with Deng Pufang, president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and a BOCOG executive president, the Marketing Programme consists of Sponsorship and Licensing programmes.

The Sponsorship Programme is further divided into three grades: Paralympic Partners, Paralympic Sponsors and Paralympic Suppliers (both exclusive and co-exclusive). Beijing Paralympic sponsorship sales will be completed in July 2008.

"The launch of the marketing programme is significant, because it symbolizes the opening of the doors of the Beijing Paralympic Games marketing programme to the world," said Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), who sent a congratulatory message to the event.

"Since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marketing Plan was launched in September 2003, all Beijing Games partners and sponsors have also agreed to sponsor the Beijing Paralympic Games as well," said Yuan Bin, director of the BOCOG Marketing Department.

Yuan said sponsorships are still available to companies for the Chinese Paralympic Committee or Chinese team, along with relevant marketing rights.

The Paralympic Games, like Summer Olympic Games, always offer the potential for a hot business to create record-breaking sales for a lucky merchandiser. In contrast to the Summer Olympics, the Paralympic Games "will draw the whole nation's attention to the difficulties faced by disabled people in China."

Liu Qi said, "A successful Paralympics in Beijing will promote the cause of disabled persons in Beijing as well as throughout China."

"The Games will urge the whole of society to pay more attention to this special segment of our population. It will reinforce the importance of building accessible facilities for the disabled and thus enhance efforts to construct a harmonious society in China."

The international travel expenses of all the athletes and accredited officials at the 2008 Paralympics will be covered by BOCOG, and free accommodations will provided in Beijing as well, according to Zhang Qiuping, director of BOCOG's Paralympic Games Department.

"This will be the first time in the history of the Paralympic Games that this has happened," he said. "Hopefully, this will allow more countries and regions to take part in this grand celebration and to share in this happy moment."

As the image ambassador of Olympic spirits, volunteer recruitment is another indispensable and invigorating element of the Game.

During the Summer Olympics and the Paralympics in 2008, Beijing needs a record 120,000 volunteers: 100,000 as frontline workers and at least 20,000 as a reserve force.

BOCOG has worked out a volunteer recruitment programme for the Olympic and Paralympic games according to its Strategic Plan and Action Plan for the Beijing Games, drawing on the successful experiences of previous Games in these areas. The Volunteer Programme also offers a chance for disabled people to serve the Games directly.

The worldwide recruitment of volunteers will officially begin in August, according to the Beijing 2008 Web site.

"About 200 of the volunteers for the Beijing Paralympic Games among the total of 30,000 will be disabled persons," said Ma Dajun, vice-board chairman of the Beijing Disabled Persons Federation. "They may participate in jobs such as interpretation, computer work and massage."

The Beijing Paralympic Games will be held September 6-17, 2008. It will open 12 days after the 29th Olympic Games ends on August 24. The 2008 Paralympics will use the same venues as the Olympic Games.

With the most sport competitions in history, the Beijing Paralympic Games will feature a total of 20 sports. Rowing is the latest addition to the Games. Of the total, 18 sports will be held in Beijing, with the sailing events contested in Qingdao and the equestrian events in Hong Kong.

BOCOG is the first Olympic organizing committee charged with simultaneously organizing a summer Olympic Games and a Paralympic Games.

The history of Chinese disabled athletes who have participated in the Paralympic Games can be traced back to 1983. This was when the National Paralympic Committee of China (NPC China) was established. Since then, Chinese disabled athletes have emerged to take their place on the world's sports stage.

At the 1984 New York Paralympic Games, Ping Yali earned China its first Paralympics gold medal in the women's long jump.

China has sent delegations to six of the 12 previous Paralympic Games. In 1996, the Chinese sports delegation to the 10th Paralympic Games held in Atlanta made historic progress, placing China in the top 10 countries in the world in terms of the total number of gold medals. Four years later, China moved forward to sixth place during the Eleventh Games in Sydney.

During the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games, the Chinese delegation won 141 medals, including 63 golds, 46 silvers and 32 bronzes, topping the final medal tally among 75 participating nations. By the end of 2004, Chinese disabled athletes had won a total of 2,149 gold medals and had broken world records 243 times.

Justly proud of their record in sport, members of national team for the 2008 Paralympic Games are looking forward to the Beijing Games.