The leaders, selected from the city's 18 districts and one county, will be ambassadors for the event and representatives of the mentally handicapped athletes taking part, organizers said.

The Special Olympic Athlete Leadership Program allows athletes to become members of the Special Olympics Board of Directors or committee members on local committees.

They can also be spokespersons, representatives, team leaders, coaches or staff for the Special Olympics.

The training will include classes on the Special Olympics and also boost the leaders' communication skills to encourage them to speak their mind.

"We believe society will have more of an understanding and respect towards the athletes through their brilliant behavior during the Games, both in and out of the stadiums," said Wang Wei, deputy secretary general of the Games' executive committee.

All 39 leaders will be accompanied by an instructor when attending the training class, Wang said.

"The instructors will also stay with them when taking part in the Games' activities," he said.

Facilities for the Games are still under construction. The training base for the Games, in Songjiang District, is expected to be completed this month.

The 260,000-square-meter base will house some of the athletes during the Games and afterwards be turned into the largest recovery center for the mentally handicapped on the Chinese mainland, officials said.

The Special Olympic will take place from October 2 to 11.