NAGANO, Japan, March 1 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The 2005 Special Olympics
World Winter Games officially began in Nagano, Japan on Saturday, February 26
with the opening ceremonies held at M-Wave, one of the world's largest indoor
speed skating rinks and site of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games speed skating
competition. The Games will be held from February 26 to March 5, 2005.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040302/LNTU017LOGO )
Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi,
Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Special Olympics Chairman
and CEO Timothy Shriver attended the opening ceremonies, welcoming the nearly
1,900 athletes from more than 80 countries participating in the Games.
In the true spirit of the ''Let's Celebrate Together'' theme, the World
Games are bringing together celebrities, heads of state, and leaders in the
fields of education, health care, business and sports all in support of
Special Olympics, one of the world's largest volunteer-driven organizations.
In addition to competition in seven sports, the World Games also features a
series of events aimed at transforming communities and the lives of the 170
million people worldwide with intellectual disabilities by promoting
understanding, acceptance and inclusion.
Among the highlights are: a Global Youth Summit, a forum for
representative young people with and without intellectual disabilities to
interact with their peers across the globe and share ideas for involving youth
in the Special Olympics movement; the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes(R)
initiative, in which athletes receive free health assessments and services;
the Changing Attitudes, Changing the World Education Forum, where the findings
of new, cutting-edge research on a variety of issues affecting people with
intellectual disabilities -- from portrayal in the media to gaps in health
care to youth attitudes -- will be revealed; and a Celebrity Snowshoe Race.
Traveling from all corners of the world, the athletes are joined by 650
coaches and more than 10,000 volunteers, families and friends as they compete
and celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship. Comparable to the 1998 Olympic
Winter Games in terms of the number of participating countries and athletes,
the 2005 Special Olympics World Games will be three times the size of the
Nagano Paralympics Games.
''Just as our Japanese hosts welcomed the world to Nagano in 1998, they
graciously now offer their hospitality to the worldwide Special Olympics
movement,'' said Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver. ''Their
commitment to inspiring people in Japan and throughout the world to open their
minds and accept people with intellectual disabilities serves as a shining
example of how to change not only attitudes, but also the world.''
Special Olympics East Asia has 195 Special Olympics athletes and 14
Unified Sports partners participating in the Games. The East Asia programs in
China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea are taking part in
Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowshoeing
and Speed Skating. 2 Special Olympics East Asia athletes, one each from
Special Olympics China and Special Olympics Chinese Taipei, will be among the
14 athletes attending the Global Youth Summit.
For more information about the 2005 Special Olympics World Winter Games,
visit http://www.2005sowwg.com .
About Special Olympics Unified Sports(TM)
The Special Olympics Unified Sports(TM) initiative brings together Special
Olympics athletes and individuals without intellectual disabilities who are of
similar age and ability to train and compete on the same team. The concept of
combining athletes with intellectual disabilities and those without (called
Partners) was first introduced in the United States in the mid-1980s to
provide another level of challenge for higher ability athletes and to promote
equality and inclusion. Today, the initiative includes virtually all Special
Olympics sports and Unified Sports competitions are an important part of
Special Olympics World Games, as well as local, State and National Games.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by
promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and
without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and
athletic competition and other related programming for more than 1.4 million
children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries,
Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's
diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics
provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to
realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and
experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special
Olympics. Special Olympics International will host their 2007 World Summer
Games in Shanghai, China in October 2007. Visit Special Olympics online at
http://www.specialolympics.org and http://www.specialolympics.org.cn .
For more information, please contact:
Karen Fang, Public Relations,
Special Olympics East Asia
Mobile (until March 6): +81-903-537-1626
Mobile (after March 6): +86-139-1002-8297
Email: kfang@specialolympics.org
SOURCE Special Olympics East Asia
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Photo Notes:
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AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840
CONTACT:
Karen Fang, Public Relations of SOEA,
+81-903-537-1626, or Mobile (after March 6), +86-139-1002-8297,
or kfang@specialolympics.org
Web Sites: http://www.specialolympics.org.cn
http://www.specialolympics.org http://www.2005sowwg.com
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