Organizers of the 2007 Special Olympics are looking for volunteers who speak one or more foreign languages, particularly less popular languages.

 

Event organizers hosted a recruitment fair at Huaihai Park yesterday morning to attract more volunteers for the games. They wouldn't say yesterday how successful a volunteer application program that was set up months ago has been, or whether or not it is meeting its targets.

 

Hundreds of university and high school students, as well as middle-aged people signed up to become volunteers at yesterday's fair.

 

Event officials said they plan to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 volunteers for the sports event and a majority of them are required to have a good command of one or more of six major languages -- Chinese, English, French, Japanese, German and Spanish.

 

Since athletes, coaches and their families and friends attending the Special Olympic Games will come from more than 170 countries and regions, organizers say they need more volunteers who know languages with a small speaking population to help with the event.

 

Applications can be completed on a special recruitment Website (www.volunteer.sh.cn) or by calling the event's hotline: 6426-5289.

 

Shanghai won the rights to host the 12th Special Olympics in 2002, beating over 13 other applicants, marking the first time the games will be held in Asia. The games open next October.

 

Athletes will compete in 22 medal sports and four demonstration events, including dragon boat racing and cricket, according to organizers.

 

(Shanghai Daily December 6, 2006)