Second ASEAN Para Games kick off in Vietnam<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nHanoi<\/p>\n
The second ASEAN Para Games were formally opened in Hanoi on
\nSunday evening, eight days after Vietnam successfully organized
\nand won the Southeast Asian Games.<\/p>\n
More than 700 handicapped athletes from the 10 ASEAN countries
\nand East Timor were welcomed in National My Dinh Stadium in a
\nrousing parade.<\/p>\n
A military band led the 11 delegations onto the field in front
\nof a stadium full of people waving the nations' flags while a
\nVietnamese speaker invited the crowd to celebrate \"solidarity and
\nfriendship.\"<\/p>\n
The first Para Games, held after the 21st Southeast Asian
\nGames in Malaysia in 2001, had been contested by only around 400
\nathletes.<\/p>\n
Participants are divided into five degrees of disability,
\nincluding those who are paralysed, wheelchair-bound, visually
\nimpaired, suffering cerebral palsy or are mentally-retarded.<\/p>\n
312 gold medals will be distributed in five sports, including
\ntrack-and-field, swimming, weightlifting, badminton and table-
\ntennis.<\/p>\n
The Youth Union of the communist country's capital has
\nmobilized more than 1,300 students and young people in the city
\nto prepare the event, welcomed by government officials as an
\noccasion to \"praise disabled athletes who overcome all
\ndifficulties to be useful to the society.\"<\/p>\n
To ensure \"security and social order\", the Youth Union also
\ncalled 340 students to help the police, 700 volunteers at key
\ntraffic junctions and \"a group of 2,500 goodwill supporters\", the
\nVietnam News Agency added.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Vietnam had put its national pride on the
\nline with the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Thousands of coloured
\nflags and banners had been hung throughout the 11 provinces and
\ncities hosting events.<\/p>\n
In total, more than 5,000 athletes and coaches from 11
\ncountries had taken part in the competition, which ended with
\nhosts Vietnam comfortably topping the gold medal rankings ahead
\nof Thailand and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Para Games volunteers must care for the athletes more than
\ntheir SEA Games counterparts\", Vu Thanh Mon, a member of the
\nreception committee, told the state-controlled Vietnam News
\ndaily.<\/p>",
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