SHANGHAI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- With the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games one year away, preparatory work is making smooth progress, organizers said at the chef de mission meeting which opened here on Saturday.

"All preparatory work has been making smooth progress," said Wang Wei, deputy secretary-general of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Steering Committee.

Chefs de mission from around 100 countries and regions have gathered here to attend the meeting and also the 2006 Special Olympics Shanghai Invitational Games, which is to open on Sunday evening.

In the last few days, participants for the invitational games, which will be playing as an official rehearsal for next year's World Games, have taken part in various activities held by local communities.

"It's good to be here in a local community," said Carsten Schenk, team leader of the German Delegation. "They (German athletes to take part in the invitational games) are very interested in these activities and games."

Members of the German Delegation visited Hongqiao district's Quyuan Neighborhood, home of the "Sunny Family" for mentally-retarded people in Quyang, and played games with local mentally-retarded youth.

"You can see they really had fun out there," said Schenk. "We need places like 'Sunny Family'. It shows you care about these people and want to do something for them." Enditem