Shanghai Daily news

Liaison officers for the 2007 Special Olympic Summer Games will start work soon after receiving three days of training, the Games' executive committee said yesterday.

Altogether 350 liaison officers have been selected from 10,000 volunteers, mostly university students having good command of at least one foreign language. Eleven languages are covered, five more than the Special Olympic official languages - Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian.

"The liaison officers will have contact with athletes and coaches, so we believe it's much better to recruit volunteers that know other languages such as Greek and Japanese," said Gao Julan, director of the committee's community reception department.

The liaison officers will help with interpreting and receiving delegations during the Games, which run from October 2 to 11.

"They will also listen to delegates' suggestions to the Games, and give feedback to the committee," said Gao.

The liaison officers have been trained in general knowledge about the Special Olympics, volunteering skills and foreign cultures and customs, Islamic customs in particular. The committee will also hold a language training course soon.

The Games, with mentally challenged athletes, have attracted more than 10,000 athletes and coaches from about 160 countries and regions.