Member's NewsNo.52
January 2008
 
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The XII Special Olympics World Summer Games
Mariusz Damentko

 

The XII Special Olympics World Summer Games held October 1 -12 in Shanghai, China was the biggest sports event in history for people with disabilities and the biggest sporting event in the world for 2007. Over 7,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities plus 3,000 coaches from 165 countries took part in 26 official and demonstration sports. The city of Shanghai, with a population of 18 million, was completely decorated with hundreds of thousands of banners and billboards promoting the event.
80,000 spectators gathered in Shanghai Stadium to watch the most spectacular and dynamic Opening Ceremony of the 40 years history of Special Olympics.
The President of the Peoples Republic of China, Hu Jintao, highlighted in his speech that, "China hopes these Games will help the world better understand China and the contribution of Special Olympics not only around the world but in China, with more than 9 million people with intellectual disability in our country".
Famous stars including Grammy Award winners Quincy Jones and Tan Dun, as well as actors Collin Farrell and Jackie Chan and many others, also gave performances on the stage during the Ceremonies.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger noted in his speech the role of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics International Inc., who first introduced people with intellectual disabilities to sport and recreation in the beginning of the 1960s.
The fantastic, well-organized competitions were held in the top class Olympic sports venues and showed the number of sporting talents we have among people with intellectual disabilities and how much we can achieve thanks to regular and good training with special athletes.


Contact
Mariusz Damentko
Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia
Warszawa, Poland
Email: mdamsoce@it.com.pl
www.specialolympics-eu.org
www.specialolympics.org





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