Following a spectacular curtain raiser, the directors, designers and artists of the Special Olympics are ready to raise the bar with a breathtaking closing ceremony.

 

With the theme "Sunshine and Life", the closing ceremony will offer a farewell party packed with displays by intellectually disabled performers and other guests from 164 nations and regions.

 

"If the opening ceremony started like a dream, then let's fulfill it at the close," said Teng Junjie, the director-in-general.

 

"We will write a full stop for the games, and add an exclamation mark."

 

He warned that Typhoon Krosa, which made landfall between the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian in East China yesterday, will have an impact on the ceremony's rehearsal but will not prevent the show.

 

The steering committee of the Special Olympics World Summer Games has prepared emergency plans to deal with the impact of the approaching storm.

 

It said yesterday that most of the indoor sports would continue as scheduled while only a few outdoor events, including athletics, cycling, soccer and baseball, could be postponed for Monday if weather worsened.

 

Tennis and Bocce have been shifted to indoor courts. Kayaking has been held ahead of schedule.

 

The closing ceremony will be divided into three chapters titled "Connection of Hearts", "Happy You and Me" and "Linger in Eternity," as well as a closing part called Sunshine Family.

 

The sunshine theme will run through the event as it corresponds to the Sunshine Homes set up across Shanghai to care for and offer vocational training to people with intellectual disabilities.

 

"Whether you are disabled or not, you can lead a happy life and contribute to a civilized and inclusive society," Teng said. "The opening ceremony focused on telling the story of cultures coming together.

 

"The closing ceremony will be about bidding farewell and departing, as well as the friends we've made."

 

The ceremony will give full play to the creativeness and artistic abilities of people with and without disabilities, and demonstrate what mentally disabled people can achieve when they set their minds to it.

 

Highlights of the program include athletes and guests forming the Special Olympics logo at the venue, a mentally disabled girl fulfilling her dream of flying in front of tens of thousands spectators and the debut of a "Sunshine Hut" decorated with the signatures of 7,500 Special Olympics athletes.

 

Fireworks, liquid crystal displays and mechanical displays will also feature in the 80-munite event. Performers including opera singer Jose Carreras from Spain, Marria Lucia of Italy, Michael Learns to Rock of Denmark, Kenny G of the United States, and a number of local performers will be taking part.

 

China's disabled athletes Qiao Meili and Zhouzhou will also take part.

 

(China Daily October 8, 2007)