Ireland provides inspiring example for planners of Games in Asia

It may be all over for the organisers of the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, but the planning is just beginning in two other countries.Nagano in Japan will host the World Winter Games in 2005 while Shanghai, China, will host the 2007 World Summer Games.

Before the Games finished, members of the Japanese and Chinese organising committees attended a seminar in Dublin to hear the "dos and don'ts" from the people who planned this year's Games.

"Plan, plan, plan, and then plan some more," was the advice of Ms Mary Davis, chief executive of the Games here.

Mr Takeo Tanaka, one of the organisers of the Japan Games, was already looking forward to the event. "It's quite a pressure but quite a pleasant pressure," he said. "It's a good challenge."

Japan won the bid to host the Games for two reasons, he said. The country hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998; and there has never been a Special Olympics World Games in Asia.

"As far as the facilities are concerned, they are already there and that's been tested by the Olympics and by the Paralympics," he said.

About 2,250 athletes and 650 coaches from 80 countries are expected to take part in the events, which will include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing and floor hockey.

About 10,000 volunteers will be needed.

"The Winter Games are quite different from the Summer Games, different in the number of athletes, in the number of sports," he said.

Severe winter conditions will also rule out transporting the athletes across the country for a host town programme. The programme here was "probably the most extraordinary non-sport event that Special Olympians and their families have ever witnessed", Mr Tanaka said.

But ferrying athletes long journeys in bad weather would expose them to risks and restrict their training, due to a lack of winter sports facilities. The committee is looking at some form of local visiting programme, perhaps involving schools.

Asked if he saw anything in Ireland that he would like to imitate in Nagano, he said: "I'd like to hire everyone here. I'd like all the volunteers to join us. They were so good."

Planning is at an early stage for the World Summer Games in Shanghai in 2007. A 27-strong delegation travelled from China to Ireland to observe the Games. A further delegation may come later to learn more, according to Dr Shi Derong, chief executive of the 2007 Special Olympics World Games executive committee. "This visit was very fruitful and very helpful to us," he said, speaking through his interpreter, Ms Olivia Qi.

"The activities were very well organised in Ireland, particularly the opening ceremony. After the opening ceremony, we had a discussion about it.

"Everyone was very tired that night but we still had the discussion."

The high public awareness of the Games in Ireland was something the Chinese organisers would like to see in China, he said.

"Ninety-nine per cent of the public knew about Special Olympics and everyone was so enthusiastic."

The Shanghai Games will also have the host town programme but is considering going one step further, by having families host the athletes during the competitions.