SYDNEY 2000 PARALYMPIC GAMES SET TO KICK OFF

 

    Sydney,  Oct.  17  (CNA)  The  2000 Paralympic Games, with almost
4,000  participating athletes from 128 different countries, is set to
kick off October 18.
    In an interview with the CNA, Carmen McCrone, chief of the Sydney
Paralympic   Organizing   Committee's   media   relations,  said  the
"Paralympic  Games  is the world's biggest sporting event in terms of
the  number  of  athletes  and  countries  taking  part in the 11-day
event."
    She  said  that, in addition, about 2,600 journalists, 2,000 team
officials,  1,000  technicians,  and  about  10,000  volunteers  will
participate in what she described as "the largest contingent ever for
a single international sports event."
    Tim  Fischer, formerly deputy prime minister of Australia and now
the Paralympic mayor, told a news conference on Monday that the "2000
Paralympic  Games  will  be  a great success because of the unceasing
efforts  being  made by all the organizers and the tremendous support
from the Australian people."
    Chinese  Taipei,  which  will have 25 athletes taking part in six
different events, will be trying to improve on its performance at the
1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games at which it won one gold and two bronze
medals.
    The  events Chinese Taipei athletes will compete in are track and
field, judo, power lifting, swimming, table tennis, and tennis.
    "Our  athletes are better prepared this time, so we hope they can
perform  better  and  win  even  more  medals  this year," said Chang
Chao-shen,  deputy  chief of the Chinese Taipei team, in an interview
with the CNA on Monday.
    All 87,000 tickets for the opening ceremony on October 18 and the
closing  ceremony  on  October  29  have  been  sold out, as have the
tickets  to all the major events, including basketball, swimming, and
track and field.
    The  SPOC  has  spent  almost  A$180  million (US$113 million) on
hosting  the  Paralympic  Games,  much  less than the US$3.75 billion
poured  into the just-concluded Olympic Games. Part of the reason for
the lower price tag is the fact that the Paralympics will make use of
facilities  built for the Olympics that are already in place, an SPOC
spokesman told the CNA.
(By Peter Chen)
ENDITEM/Li
　
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