Final Stages of 2008 Games Preparations

From 1 to 3 April, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Co-ordination Commission for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games visited Beijing, China, for the last time before the Opening of the Games.

Approaching Games time, the Commission, including International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven, discussed several areas and looked closely at the progress made by the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee (BOCOG).

In addition to the Commission meetings, a specific working group on Paralympic Games discussed several topics including Paralympic ticketing, sports, Paralympic village and the planning for the Paralympic torch relay. Further side-meetings on Paralympic topics were also attended by IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez, IPC Executive Director of Sport and IF Relations David Grevemberg and IPC Paralympic Games Director Arno Wolter.

The IPC was also briefed by BOCOG's Executive Vice-President Liu Jingmin about the recent strengthening of the command structure and additional resources allocated to the Paralympic Games.

Said Sir Philip: "We have congratulated BOCOG to the excellent progress made since our last meetings. The Paralympic preparations are on track, but we also stressed that it will now be critical to concentrate efforts on finalizing the Paralympic plans during a phase when the OCOG is understandably very busy getting ready for the Olympic Games. Special attention is needed for the Paralympic ticketing programme and promoting sales. Creating a vibrant atmosphere with full venues will be a key success factor for the Games".

Just prior to the Co-ordination Commission, Sir Philip and Mr. Gonzalez had the opportunity to receive an in-depth update on accessibility improvements, especially in public areas. This included also a visit to the Great Wall and Forbidden City which are currently being made accessible.

After the conclusion of the meetings, the IPC President and CEO will pay a visit to Qingdao, the host city of the Paralympic Sailing events, in order to learn about the status of preparations in this remote venue.

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games will take place from 6 to 17 September 2008, with around 4,000 athletes from 160 countries competing in 20 sports.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 162 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.