Formerly known as the Far East and South Pacific Games of the Disabled - held on nine previous occasions - the first Asian Para Games will start on December 12 following the Asian Games and will be the last major gathering of Asian multi-sport athletes before the London 2012 Paralympics.

The President, who is also an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) governing board member, said: "I visited a number of venues, including the athletes' Games Village.

"The organisers have prepared excellent facilities for athletes with a disability at the Games Village, competition venues, airport and tourist spots," he said.

The 'Flower City' is set to see 3,000 top disabled athletes from 41 countries compete in 19 different events during the week-long extravaganza, which will be the first major multi-sport event in Asia since the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

The Mayor of Guangzhou, Wan Qingliang, recently declared his city ready to host the Games and detailed the transition from Asian Games to the Asian Para Games.

It will start on November 28, the day after the Closing Ceremony of the Asian Games, and will see disabled access increased in all of the venues.

Each one will be ready to host top level disability competition by December 11 - a day before the Opening Ceremony at the 80,000 capacity Guangdong Aoti Stadium.

The Games have already captured the imagination of people in China with more than 1.5 million applying to be a volunteer.

A total of 25,000 people have been recruited as Games-time volunteers and some 500,000 as city volunteers for both the Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

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