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China's Paralympians head for Athens
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-09-09 23:40

A 286-strong Chinese delegation leaves Beijing this morning for Athens, Greece, to take part in the 12th Paralympic Games slated for September 17 -- 28.

The 200 Paralympic athletes and 86 coaches and officials constitute the country's largest turn-out in the history of the quadrennial event since China's Paralympics debut in New York in 1984.

The Athens-bound Chinese athletes come from 29 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

"About 80 per cent of the athletes are new to the Games," said Jia Yong, executive vice-president of the China Paralympic Committee.

China will have athletes in 284 disciplines covering 11 out of the 19 sports listed on the Games programme, including athletics, swimming and table tennis.

And for the first time will China send a team of 14 to participate in the womens sitting volleyball match.

"While securing the sixth ranking in gold medal standings in Sydney's Paralympics, we target at improving the final gold medal and medal tally rankings from the previous games," said Jia.

"We consider the Games in Athens a rehearsal for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics for our young team," said Deng Pufang, president of the China Disabled Persons' Federation.

China sent 24 athletes in the Seventh Paralympic Games in New York in 1984, winning two gold medals.

And four years ago, 87 Chinese athletes pocketed 72 medals, including 34 golds, in the previous Paralympics held in Sydney.

"We aim at 15 gold medals this time," said Jiang Bin, assistant swimming team leader.

"It is a tough job though, since more than half of the athletes are inexperienced for such a big event."

The swimming coach Zhang Honggu added the ability gap between domestic and foreign athletes is narrowing, which heats up the competition.

However, Zhang still has confidence in the upcoming event.

"The amazing achievements Chinese Olympic athletes made in Athens last month are real inspirations," he said.

The athletes for the Paralympics received an enclosed and intensified training during the past half year.

"We are asked to practice for about seven hours a day," said Xiao Weidong, a shooting athlete from Northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The China Paralympic Committee reveals that a group of disabled artists will give a seven-minute performance on the closing ceremony of the Games.

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