Shanghai chosen as host of Special Olympics
By Selina Lo (China 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 China 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.

China 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 China to grow the programme. We want to develop it into a large showcase for the world."

China's growing enthusiasm for the Special Olympics moves beyond just mere figures. Deng Pufang, the eldest son of China'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 China boasts 6,000 parent volunteers advocating activities for their disabled children.

China 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.

(China Daily 11/17/2005 page2)