The ‘4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games’: A Platform for Disabled Athletes to Shine

The closing ceremony of the ‘4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games’ on the 28th. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

[신화망 항저우 10월30일] The ‘4th Hangzhou Asian Para Games’ has closed. The Asian Para Games, held for 7 days from the 22nd to the 28th, became a stage for disabled athletes to show off their skills and realize their dreams. As they bid farewell, players, coaches, and officials from all over the world promised to meet again and did not forget to speak highly of the host city, Hangzhou.

◇Perfect Stadium

Gongshu Yunhe Sports Park Gymnasium captured on September 22, 2021. (Provided by Hangzhou Asian Games Committee)

Japan’s Tatsumi Hiromi, who won the bronze medal in the men’s kayak KL2 competition, said after the race, “This Asian Para Games stadium is world-class,” adding, “The environment and barrier-free facilities are at a level that is comparable to hosting large-scale international competitions. He highly praised it as “excellent.”

Yang Jinkui (楊金奎), director of the China Sports Management Center for the Disabled and deputy secretary-general of the Chinese national team at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, said, “The 19 stadiums of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games are the best stadiums I have ever seen,” and said, “The 19 stadiums of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games are the best stadiums I have ever seen,” and said that after touring all 19 stadiums, disabled athletes They said that it is very convenient for them to train and play games in Hangzhou.

Torch bearer Cai Chunghui (蔡瓊卉) carries the torch while being guided by a smart guide dog on the 19th. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

Support for the disabled using science and technology is also a major feature of the Asian Para Games. Electronic ID cards solved the problem of athletes forgetting to carry physical cards, and innovative technologies such as smart guide dogs, smart prosthetic hands, and smart prosthetic legs became the eyes and limbs of torch relay runners. In addition, exoskeleton suits and rehabilitation robots are evaluated as providing smart rehabilitation services to athletes.

◇Service full of humanity

The site of the Hangzhou Asian Games/Asian Para Games volunteer launch ceremony held on August 24th. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

Young volunteers wearing white and light green uniforms could be seen throughout the Asian Games athletes’ village stadium.

An Indian Paralympic Committee official praised the Asian Para Games volunteers and said, “The volunteers are very passionate,” and “Everything here was enjoyable because they helped us a lot.”

An employee at the assistive device repair center at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Athletes’ Village is repairing a wheelchair on the 27th. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

Among the athletes participating in the Asian Para Games, nearly 1,100 people were wheelchair users. Accordingly, 10 wheelchair, prosthetic hand, and prosthetic limb repair centers were installed in the Asian Para Games Athletes Village, Chun’an Sub-Athletes Village, wheelchair basketball, track and field, swimming, shooting, and badminton stadiums, and three mobile service vehicles were installed, with 67 professional repair personnel. The driver was on standby 24 hours a day to provide support so that the players could focus on the game with peace of mind.

◇Barrier-free urban environment

Yang Yingying (楊英英), chairman of the Hangzhou City Disabled Persons Association, said that as the host city of the Asian Para Games, Hangzhou has implemented 140,000 urban barrier-free improvement projects.

Chinese national team athletes board a barrier-free shuttle bus at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Athletes’ Village on the 16th. (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)

To ensure barrier-free movement for the disabled, Hangzhou City: ▷ 75 sections of city roads ▷ 3,000 km of roads exclusively for the visually impaired ▷ 29,000 curb ramps ▷ 1,600 barrier-free public restrooms ▷ 1,000 elevators in old areas and established approximately 260 barrier-free pilot points and 3,500 bus stops. In addition, 300 barrier-free patrol taxis were operated and five barrier-free tourist routes centered on World Heritage sites such as Xihu, Liangzhu, and Yunhe.

Majid Rashid, Chairman of the Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), said in a briefing before the opening of the Asian Para Games, “I have participated in numerous sports competitions for the disabled, but the Hangzhou Asian Para Games was the best ever,” and “I was most impressed by the changes in the entire city of Hangzhou,” adding, “I was most impressed by the changes in the entire city of Hangzhou.” He highly praised Hangzhou City’s efforts for convenience.

Original source: Xinhua News Agency Korean News Service

2023-10-30 00:14:52

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