200-day countdown begins for Beijing Paralympic Games
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Lion dancers engage audience members at the countdown ceremony to a couplet marking the joy of the Chinese New Year and the upcoming Paralympic Games. |
A 200-day countdown ceremony to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, jointly organized by the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled, was held February 20 at Penfold Park.
Speaking at the ceremony, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Yau said the spectacular Beijing 2008 Paralympics will begin in 200 days and that Hong Kong has always attached great importance to disabled athletes and to the Paralympic Games. She pointed out that Hong Kong athletes first joined the games in 1972, and have since achieved impressive results.
“In the last games in Athens, our athletes achieved the best-ever results for Hong Kong. They won 11 gold, seven silver and one bronze medals,” said Mrs. Yau, who added that with the approach of the Paralympics, the Home Affairs Bureau would continue to get people, including the disabled and the disadvantaged, engaged in various celebration activities. The government hopes that by engaging the whole community in the Games, the spirit of equality and integration of the Paralympics will be reflected in “a society for all” in Hong Kong.
“As a co-host city of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Equestrian Events, Hong Kong is well-prepared. I believe that Hong Kong will stage a great Olympic and Paralympic Games Equestrian Events and make it a milestone for its development as a city of international events,” said Mrs. Yau.
Hundreds of students and teachers from special schools, parents and Paralympics athletes were invited to participate in the event to share the joy of the countdown ceremony. A carnival was held with game stalls on equestrian events, exhibitions in the Equestrian Pavilion, chanting of Paralympic slogans, a lion dance performance and photo opportunities with Olympic mascot Fuwa and ponies.
Other officiating guests at the ceremony included Chairman of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee & Sports Association for the Physically Disabled Jenny Fung; President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China Timothy Fok; Chairman of the Hong Kong Jockey Club John Chan; Member of the Board of Governors of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Equestrian Events Hong Kong Fund Victor Hui; and the Chief Executive Officer of Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Company Limited W.K. Lam.
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