Universiade Starts 1,000-day Countdown

Source: Shenzhen Daily

Shenzhen officially started the 1,000-day countdown to the 2011 Summer Universiade on Saturday at the Citizens’ Center.

The 26th Summer Universiade will be held in Shenzhen from Aug. 12 to 23 in 2011.

“Shenzhen promises to hold the most successful games in the history of the Universiade,” said Mayor Xu Zongheng at a ceremony unveiling the countdown board.

Xu believes it is a great opportunity to promote Shenzhen’s image to the world, and it is also a good chance to improve the city’s facilities and the personal standards of citizens.

During the ceremony, Liang Daoxing, vice mayor and director general of the Executive Office of the Organizing Committee for the Universiade, said the recruitment of volunteers for the Universiade would start Dec. 5, and the volunteer training base would be unveiled at the municipal youth league school tomorrow.

Xiao Junfeng, the Universiade volunteer image ambassador and gymnastics champion at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, encouraged more university students around the nation to become involved in the event and do their best in the competitions.

More than 10,000 volunteers will be involved in the 2011 Universiade, according to the organizing committee. The volunteers will fall into four categories according to the type of service. Volunteers will be recruited to promote Universiade culture and Shenzhen’s image. Volunteers for sports event preparations, volunteers at sports venues and volunteers for other services outside the venues will also be recruited.

To popularize the Games and increase residents’ enthusiasm for the sports events, a series of activities including a Universiade cultural festival and official announcement of the Games’ mascot will be held this week.

(Cai Yingbo)

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Editor: Zhu Yanshan