Two athletes share a moment and a photograph at the flag-raising ceremony in the Athletes' Village on Saturday. The Asian Para Games will officially start on Sunday. Xu Yu / Xinhua

GUANGZHOU - With passion, respect, friendship and love, Guangzhou is ready to embrace all the athletes, officials and representatives gathering in the city for the upcoming Asian Para Games.

The Guangzhou Para Games Organizing Committee has promised that everything is in position.

"Our target is to see both Asian Games and Asian Para Games equally successful," said Mayor of Guangzhou Wan Qingliang.

"It's a short period between the two games, so it's big and tough work to transform the venues, facilities and services into those suitable for disabled athletes.

"Thanks to everyone's devotion to the preparation, we are now ready for the opening ceremony and the week-long competitions."

The opening ceremony for the games will be held in Aoti Main Stadium today.

The gala meet for the disabled athletes will feature 19 sports and 432 competitive events.

A total of 19 venues will be used. All 41 Asian Paralympic Committee members will be sending teams.

"We will show all of our region's friends that Guangzhou is a compassionate city that respects and cares for everyone here," said Wan.

One of the major tasks is to have accessible facilities for disabled athletes.

In the Athletes' Village, more than 4,000 accessible facilities with nearly 1,500 signs have been set up.

An additional 20 million yuan ($3 million) has been invested in the structural modification and equipment upgrading inside and outside the Aoti Main Stadium.

More than 5,000 staff and volunteers were trained to better serve the visitors, including cab drivers who are learning sign language.

"To host Asian Para Games is not just to have a smooth sports event. It's more about how to show love and respect," said Executive Vice-President of China's Disabled Persons' Federation Wang Naikun.

The theme of Sunday's opening ceremony is focused on love. Participants in the opening ceremony include two visually handicapped children who will hand over the Chinese flag to flag bearers, and then two other disabled children will light the flame of the Asian Para Games.

Over 300 mothers of the disabled children will form a chorus and perform to show their love and determination with a repertoire of songs.

Apart from organizing work, the city is also welcoming athletes and accompanying delegations with flowers.

At a flower farm in Guangzhou, workers are packing nearly 4 million pots of flowers onto trucks that will be strategically placed within the city.

Liu Jingbao, the manager of the farm, said, "We have a very short time to prepare the flowers for the Para Games, so we did lots of extra work."

China Daily