OLYMPICS/ Spotlight
Paralympics' turn to mark one-year countdown
(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-07 11:20
A series of activities were launched this week in Beijing to celebrate the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
The activities included an evening party televised by four television stations last night and the unveiling of a documentary on China's Paralympians.
Visa, one of the International Olympic Committee TOP partners, which has sponsored the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games, the 2004 Athens Summer Games and the 2006 Turin Winter Games, made a special pledge to cover the cost of making the film.
The Beijing Paralympics will run from September 6 to 17 next year. However, compared with the Olympics that take place roughly one month earlier, general awareness of the Paralympics is low in China, leading many athletes and officials to call for more public attention.
"I should thank the Paralympics because it gives me a new way of living," said Chinese champion Li Duan, who won two gold medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.
"I realized the national flag could be hoisted and the national anthem could be played due to our efforts and achievements. This is truly inspiring."
Li, a blind athlete from Liaoning Province, had to settle for a silver and a bronze in Sydney in 2000 but he managed to remedy this in Athens by excelling at both the long and triple jump.
He has now set his eyes on the Beijing Paralympics.
"I have been dreaming of doing the same in Beijing," he added.
"Just give them an opportunity, not mercy," suggested Lu Shiming, vice-president of the China Paralympic Committee. "Just give them an opportunity to be respected. I am expecting great performances in Beijing."
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