China promotes events for disabled athletes

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As China marks its first Disability Prevention Day on Friday, it can reflect on all the measures it has put in place over the years to develop disabled athletes.

The country’s Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) now has three separate organizations dedicated to sports for the physically challenged.

The PRC has had a strong policy since establishing the China Sports Association for the Disabled in 1983.

Two organizations oversee the Paralympic Games and the Special Olympics, and there is also a committee which regulates sports for the deaf.

The success in competition has been a reflection of the dedication from those passionate people about exploring everyone's talents.

China first took part in the Paralympics in 1984, and it has gone on to attend nine summer and four winter editions.

Since the 2004 Games in Athens, the Chinese delegation has been on top of the medal table four times in a row. The PRC also successfully hosted the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai, the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, and the 2010 Asian Para Games in Guangzhou. Two years ago, the country successfully bid for the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics, which is the next big event in the works.

China’s Shi Yiting celebrates her new world record in the women's 100m at the London 2017 World Para Athletics Championships. /CFP Photo

The National Para Games, as well as the National Special Games, are held every four years. China has held its own Para Games nine times, while the Special Games have been staged on six occasions. Each year, a whole host of international and regional sports competitions are staged, while efforts to improve the level of coaching and officiating continue unabated.

China has also established a variety of projects and plans to improve health and accessibility, with facilities in towns and villages undergoing vast improvements. Now more than eight million disabled people across the nation take part in sporting activities on a regular basis.

The Chinese Disabled Sports Management Center plays a significant role in these changes, as does the world's biggest training camp, which provides instruction in areas like coaching, officiating, and designing fully accessible competition venues. The country now has 32 authorized sports training camps for the disabled, with more to come in the future.