Children with disabilities from Southwest China's Guizhou province, won five gold, four silver, and one bronze medal at the Special Olympics Table Tennis Competition of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities & the 9th National Special Olympic Games.

The group photo of athletes from Guizhou province. [Photo/Guiyang Disabled Persons' Federation]

Guiyang, capital of Guizhou, invests millions annually to develop sports initiatives aimed at people with disabilities. Through government service procurement, the city's disabled persons' federation and sports bureau continuously conduct athlete selection and training, focusing on building a talent pipeline. They discover and nurture numerous athletes each year, supplying a significant number of outstanding athletes to national and provincial teams. During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, the city established 19 demonstration sites for self-improvement and fitness for people with disabilities, enabling more individuals with disabilities to participate in sports and enjoy the benefits of social development.

Meanwhile, Guiyang has stipulated that a minimum of 15 percent of the local retention of social welfare lottery and sports lottery public welfare funds must be used to support welfare and sports initiatives for people with disabilities, with at least one-third of these funds fully allocated to the local disabled persons' federation. Since 2016, the Guiyang Disabled Persons' Federation has secured no less than 100,000 yuan ($14,164) annually from city funds for training Special Olympics athletes.