HK holds 200-day countdown to Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games

HONG KONG, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- A 200-day countdown ceremony to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games was held here Wednesday at Penfold Park in the New Territories.

The event was jointly organized the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled.

Hundreds of students and teachers from special schools, and 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 Fuwa and ponies.

Officiating guests at the ceremony included Chairman of the Hong Kong Paralympic Committee and Sports Association for the Physically Disabled Jenny Fung, President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, Timothy Fok, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Yau and some other guests.

Speaking at the ceremony, Yau said that Hong Kong has always attached great importance to disabled sports and to the ParalympicGames.

The city's athletes first joined the Games in 1972, and have since achieved impressive results. In the last Games in Athens, the athletes achieved the best-ever results for Hong Kong with 11 gold, seven silver and one bronze medals, according to Yau.

Yau said that the government hopes that by engaging the whole community in the Games, the spirit of equality and integration of the Paralympics would be reflected in "a society for all" here.

"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," she added.