Sport is a way to transcend commonly held ideas about the abilities of the intellectually disabled and help build their self-esteem, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on November 10 at the opening ceremony of a promotional photo exhibition on Shanghai 2007 Special Olympics at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The secretary-general launched the five-day exhibition together with several Special Olympics athletes, including Qiao Meili from Shanghai. Annan said the Special Olympics are a seminal celebration because they provide a platform for gifted athletes like Qiao to excel, and to show others as well as themselves their tremendous potential.

"We hope to provide intellectually disabled people an opportunity to exhibit their courage and enthusiasm, and show their talent and potential," said Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng while addressing a one-day forum, via a videotaped speech, which was held at the UN Headquarters the same day the photo exhibition was opened.

The theme of the forum, "Special Olympics for Social Harmony," is of "profound significance to China and the world today," said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya at the forum's opening ceremony. His comments reflected the world's multi-polarization and deepening economic globalization and the ongoing quest of the Chinese government and people toward building a harmonious society.

"Harmony can pool together the strengths of all sides to accomplish great tasks in the new century that presents the world with unprecedented opportunities for development as well as challenges," said Wang, adding that he is convinced that the upcoming Shanghai Games will further promote the development of activities relating to the Special Olympics both in China and the world, and advance the cause of safeguarding the human rights of persons with disabilities.

The photo exhibition that showcases the development of Special Olympics movement in China and Shanghai consists of three parts: "Eye on Special Olympics," "Reasons for Choosing Shanghai" and "I Know I Can."

According to Shanghai Vice Mayor Feng Guoqin, the city is intensifying preparations for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games by mobilizing assistance from all walks of life, with the number of volunteers from various sectors exceeding 80,000.

The Special Olympics International is an international organization created to help people with intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence and social skills through sports training and competition. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, it is now the only sports organization authorized by the International Olympic Committee to use the name Olympics in its title. There are 170 million persons with intellectual disabilities in the world, of whom 2.25 million have participated in the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics China was founded in 1985. Shanghai beat 13 other applicants in 2002 to win the bid for hosting the 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games, to be held on October 2-11 next year. It is the first time that such a sports event is to be held in Asia and the second time that it is to be held outside of the US, the birthplace of the Special Olympics International. The 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games was held in Dublin, Ireland, in 2003. China will thus become the first developing country to host the event.

"It is especially fitting that our next World Games take place in China, which now has the largest Special Olympics Program in the world," Bruce Pasternack, president and CEO of the Special Olympics International, said at the November 10 forum. He appreciated the efforts of promoting the Special Olympics in China, a country that has seen a growth of athletes participating in this sports training and competition from 76,000 to over 550,000 in the past six years.

Next year, around 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from 170 countries and regions will come to Shanghai to compete in 21 events.

GETTING IT DONE: Among participants in the "Special Olympics for Social Harmony" forum are (from left): Feng Guoqin, Shanghai vice mayor; Tang Xiaoquan, president of Executive Board of China Disabled Persons' Federation; Wang Guangya, Chinese ambassador to the UN; Djibril Diallo, director of UN New York Office of Sport for Development and Peace; Liu Zhenmin, deputy permanent representative of China to the UN; and Jiao Yang, spokeswoman for the Shanghai municipal government.

FOUNDING MOTHER: Eunice Kennedy Shriver (second from the right), founder of the Special Olympics International, listens carefully to the address during the unveiling ceremony of the photo exhibition.

I KNOW I CAN: Qiao Meili (right), a Chinese Special Olympics athlete, delivers a speech at the "Special Olympics for Social Harmony" forum with two other international athletes.

GOOD WILL: Yao Mingbao (left), deputy secretary-general of Shanghai municipal government, Florence Nabayinda, board member of the Special Olympics International and Ugandan Special Olympics athlete, and Zhang Ziyi, Chinese film actress and image ambassador of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games, take part in the promotional event of the Shanghai Games.

SPECIAL EXHIBITION: Posters of "Special Olympics for Social Harmony" forum and photo exhibition presented at UN Headquarters in New York City.

(Chen Wen, Beijing Review, reporting from New York, November 13, 2006)