By Tom Degun

Guangzhou_Closing_Ceremony_2_December_2010December 19 - The Asian Para Games has come to its close in Guangzhou with a hugely impressive Closing Ceremony at the spectacular Guangdong Olympic Stadium before a crowd of 35,000.


The ceremony included an eight-minute segment from the South Korean city of Incheon, who will host the next Asian Para Games in 2014, with singer and actor Rain performing and the Mayor of Inchon, Song Young-gil, receiving the Games flag.

Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) President Dato' Zainal Abu Zarin thanked Guangzhou's citizens for bringing the world a splendid and marvellous gala, which became an example for future Asian Para Games.

"In this gala, several world records and Asian records have been broken and the values of Asian Para Games have been spread all over the world," he told the crowd.

He also thanked volunteers, technical officials for their devotion and said the spirit of the Games will continue in Guangzhou.

China set a big marker for the London 2012 Paralympics as they dominated the competition with 391 medals, 185 of which were gold.

Japan finished in second place on the overall medal table with 103 medals and 32 golds while Korea finished third with 103 medals and 27 golds.

The inaugural competition, which was formed from the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled (FESPIC), was considered a huge success generating positive accolades from media and Paralympic officials from across Asia and around the globe.

The Asian Para Games, which began last Sunday (December 12) just two weeks after the conclusion of the 16th Asian Games, featured some 2,512 athletes, 1,286 officials, 1,096 technical officials of delegations from 41 countries and regions of Asia and 2,558 reporters from 185 media outlets took part in the Asian Para Games.

Approximately 74 athletes from 13 delegations broke 82 Asian records 74 times, 31 delegations shared medals and more than 470,000 spectators attended Asian Para Games events.

Today's Closing Ceremony of Asian Para Games represented not only the conclusion of two Asian Games but China's superb ability to current host global Olympic and Paralympic events which dates back to July 2001 when the then International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that Beijing would host the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in 2008.

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