The 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games have received much more enthusiastic spectators in Shanghai than expected, organizers said.
"We have withdrawn about 300 cheerleaders at the Pudong Natatorium, because the seats simply couldn't accommodate so many people who come to watch the contests," said Wu Xinmin, vice head of the competition department of the Games Steering Committee.
Students from local schools were organized to give cheers and applause to the special athletes, but hundreds of Chinese families and individuals come to watch the games spontaneously, giving organizers sweet surprises and forcing the cheerleaders to give up their seats.
In the 2,000-seat Pudong natatorium, all the seats have been occupied since the first day of the competition.
Special Olympics also drew tourists to Shanghai from other parts of the country during the weeklong National Day holiday.
"I want to give my daughter better understanding about people with intellectual disabilities so that she can become a warm-hearted person and a responsible individual," said Wang Xiaoqin, a tourist from central China's Henan province.
China's biggest metropolis has attracted a large number of fans to annual sport galas including F1 Grand Prix, Master's Cup tennis tournament, and the track and field event of Shanghai Golden Grand Prix. The Special Olympics also aroused great attention.
"When the Special Olympics athletes were competing in other countries, only their families and coaches will come to the stadiums, but here in China, a lot of people from all walks of life also come to give cheers. I think we can never forget their heart-felt applause," said Jawhar, a coach from the Kuwait delegation.
"Part of the reasons is that the Games are held to coincide with the seven-day National Day holiday, and it's free of charge to all people," Wu said.
"But more importantly, the government's campaign of increasing public awareness and wide media coverage also helped to nurture a lot of Special Olympics fans," Wu said.
A government survey has shown that 92 percent of Shanghai residents know about the "Special Olympics".
Source: Xinhua
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