China team scoops up gold
10/10/2007 13:44
Shanghai Daily news
Chinese athletes have won 224 gold medals, 161 silver and 113 bronze medals
in the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games in Shanghai. The Chinese
delegation, which has 1,274 athletes aged eight to 58, has taken part in all 21
competition events and the four demonstration events. Ye Shihua, a handball
athlete who helped the team win a gold medal, said the success was due to the
care and love of the community. "Without everyone's love and concern, we
would not even get an opportunity to be engaged in sports, and we'll train
harder in the future to repay society," said Ye. Zhao Sujing, the spokeswoman
for the delegation, said the athletes started training for the Games on July 1,
in 17 provinces and cities. "Through the training, the athletes made progress
not only in sports ability, but also in life skills, study and communication,"
she said. The delegation has had many highlights during the Games. On Sunday,
30-year-old golfer Shao Haijuan shot a hole-in-one - the first in the history of
the Special Olympic. "It fully proves that Special Olympic athletes can do as
well as other people," said Zhao. Zhao said the families of the gymnasts have
written a letter to the delegation, expressing their gratitude to the Special
Olympics. "They all say the Special Olympics has changed the destiny of the
families, and are so glad to see their children or relatives shine in the
gymnasium," she said. At the end of last year, China had 620,000 Special
Olympics athletes. And the number is expected to rise to one million by the year
2010. Since 2003, China has provided the intellectually disabled with
recovery training, education and employment. The country now has more than 1,640
special education schools, with 560,000 students enrolled. Intermediate
education for the mentally challenged has also been developed, and nearly 70
secondary special education schools have been put into operation. Dr Dicken
Yung, president of Special Olympics East Asia, said China has set a good example
of the development of the cause.
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