Athletes compete in the first-day swimming events of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympics Games at the Shenzhen Universiade Center Natatorium in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province on December 9, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the organizer committee

Athletics and swimming events of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympics Games kicked off on Tuesday, marking the first day of competition. The athletics opening ceremony took place in the morning at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center Stadium, where delegations entered the venue one by one under the gaze of the crowd. Athlete, coach and referee representatives then delivered their oaths.

The stadium joined in singing the Games’ official anthem, reflecting the event’s spirit of equality, participation, sharing and inclusion. The popular mascot energized the arena with lively hops and playful gestures, drawing cheers from spectators who called it “adorably irresistible.”

Organizers told the Global Times that athletics is the largest discipline of this year’s Games, with the most delegations, athletes, disability classifications and medal events. The 52-gold athletics program includes the women’s discus throw for hearing-impaired athletes, which will be decided on the first day..

In the opening event of the men’s decathlon for hearing-impaired athletes, the 100-meter race, Beijing athlete Zhang Mengyu, a multiple Paralympian, took part. After finishing five events on the first day, he told the Global Times that his performance “basically met expectations,” expressing hope for strong results in the remaining events.

A seasoned Paralympian, Zhang also shared stories from his early training. Because he could not communicate with his coach verbally, he often missed crucial instructions.

“I’m truly grateful that my coach took the ime to demonstrate the key movements in sign language again and again. When I became anxious or frustrated, he would help me calm down,” Zhang said.
He noted that although he has competed in the Paralympics, the atmosphere at the National Games is entirely different. “Training can feel lonely at times, but here I’ve met many friends from across the country who are fighting for their dreams. I’m lucky to be here and will give everything I have on the track,” he said.

In the Special Olympics women’s T20 1,500-meter race, athlete Chan Sio-ying from Macao Special Administrative Region was lapped but persevered to finish. She told the Global Times that it was her first time competing on the Chinese mainland. 

“The venue facilities are excellent and the volunteers are very warm-hearted,” she said. Though the travel had been exhausting and she was completely spent by the finish, Chan said she “should try hard and would come again.”

Chan has been running for 18 years, yet this was her first time facing a large contingent of mainland media. Living with an intellectual disability, she paused to process questions, but when asked how she viewed competing alongside her teammate, teenager Ng Tsz-yin who’s under 20, she quickly waved her hands and insisted she was “not a veteran.”

“I’m still young. I want to keep running for many, many years,” Chan said.

While the athletics program was underway in Guangzhou, the swimming events in Shenzhen also opened on Tuesday.

The swimming competition, held at the Shenzhen Universiade Center Natatorium runs from Tuesday to Sunday with 12 sessions over six days. A total of 634 participants are taking part, including 363 athletes and 167 team staff from 30 delegations, along with 104 technical officials. The meet will award 221 gold medals. Nine were decided on Tuesday morning, with Liaoning winning two, and seven others including Guangdong, Yunnan, Hong Kong taking one.

Hong Kong swimmer Cheung Chun-lok finished third in the men’s 200-meter freestyle Special Olympics event. Cheung, who competed in the Paris 2024 Paralympics but said this was still his first time taking part in “a large-scale event of this magnitude.”

“I saw how fast the Zhejiang swimmers were, so I just pushed with everything I had. I’d prepared for a long time,” Cheung told the Global Times, adding that he was satisfied with his result.