Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) More than 800 athletes and support staff from 43 countries will participate in the 2007 World Wheelchair and Amputee Games, which will be held in Taipei for the first time Sept. 9-19, the organizers announced Friday at a press conference.
Taiwan will field 62 men and 22 women, the largest delegation among the participating countries, in eight events in the hope of riding on its success in previous games, said Chen Lee-cho, president of the Chinese Taipei Sports Federation for the Disabled (CTSFD).
Taiwan won 11 gold medals, 16 silvers and six bronzes in the inaugural biennial competition held in Brazil in 2005.
The eight events in the competition are archery, athletics, wheelchair fencing, powerlifting, shooting, swimming, badminton and table tennis.
Apart from powerlifting, the events will be qualifiers for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Chen said.
The organizers of the event include the CTSFD and the Chinese Taipei Paralympics Committee.