SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1982

FESPIC GAMES CLOSES

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THE THIRD FAR EAST AND SOUTH PACIFIC GAMES FOR THE DISABLED ENDED THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING WITH A CEREMONY PRESIDED OVER BY THE VISITING MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE DISABLED, MR HUGH ROSSI.

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A PARACHUTE DISPLAY BY THE BRITISH FORCES. A PRECISION MARCHING PERFORMANCE AND FANFARES ADDED COLOUR TO THE CLOSING CEREMONY HELD AT THE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE.

ALSO ATTENDING THE CEREMONY WERE THE GOVERNOR AND LADY YOUDE.

IN HIS SPEECH, MR ROSSI CONGRATULATED HONG KONG ON ITS

SUCCESSFUL ORGANISATION OF THE GAMES.

+THIS INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENT HAS NOT SIMPLY BEEN THE LARGEST EVER YET HELD IN HONG KONG: IT HAS BEEN A UNIQUE AND QUITE MOVING EXPERIENCE.

+THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE SEEN FROM WHAT DISABLED SPORTSMEN HAVE SHOWN THEM THAT 'DISABLED' DOES NOT MEAN UNABLE' AND THAT DISABILITY CAN BE CONQUERED, HE SAID.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE GAMES ORGANISING COMMITTEE, DR HARRY FANG, WHO INVITED MR ROSS TO CLOSE THE CEREMONY, SAID THE GAMES HAD EXCEEDED HIS EXPECTATIONS OF FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN PLANS WERE BEING MADE.

BEFORE THE CLOSING CEREMONY, A TREE PLANTING CEREMONY WAS HELD AT THE ENTRANCE OF JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE.

THE GOVERNOR, MR ROSSI, DR FANG AND THE CHAIRMAN OF HONG KONG FESPIC COUNCIL, SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES, EACH PLANTED A TREE.

THE DUKE OF KENT OPENED THE ONE-WEEK GAMES LAST SUNDAY WHEN HE UNVEILED A SMALL PYRAMID TO MARK THE OPENING OF THE CENTRE. THE DUCHESS ALSO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY.

MORE THAN 800 ATHLETES FROM OVER 20 COUNTRIES TOOK PART IN THE GAMES.

THE EVENTS INCLUDED SWIMMING, FENCING, TABLE-TENNIS, WHEEL- CHAIR BASKETBALL AND ARCHERY.

HK ACCEPTED AS LEADER IN COUNTER DISASTER OPERATIONS

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THIRD-WORLD COUNTRIES HAVE SHOWN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN HONG KONG'S EMERGENCY AUXILIARY SERVICES AT A CONGRESS IN GENEVA JUST HELD BY THE UNITED NATIONS, THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL DEFENCE ORGANISATION AND THE RED CROSS.

/HONG KONG

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