Beijing, China - After 12 days of competition, the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on 17 September 2008 officially ended a period of record-breaking competition and events.

Beijing, China - From 4 to 15 September, all accredited athletes participating in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games had the chance to take part in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council Election.

The Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award Committee would like to present the two recipients of the award that recognizes elite athletes that have exemplified an exceptional level of determination to overcome their adversities through sports and the Paralympic Games. The Whang Youn Dai Achievment Award will be awarded at the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games by Dr. Whang and Miguel Sagarra, IPC Vice-President.

Although the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are not yet finished, the number of new records set is adding up. Each day, with each event, it is a matter of fact now that the athletes have come to the Chinese capital to perform at the highest possible level.

Beijing, China - With a total of 29 rightsholders covering more than 75 countries worldwide, from all regions (Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania), the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games has the largest number of rightsholding broadcasters in the history of the Parlaympic Games. Currently, the broadcaster with the winning number of hours is China’s CCTV and BTV, with more than 22 hours of Paralympic Games daily on different channels. This includes live programmes, as well as news.

Johnson & Johnson, a sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation, recently announced the donation of 1,000 sport wheelchairs to the China Foundation for Disabled Persons (CFDP). These specialized wheelchairs will be distributed to 20 community organizations and centers across China that work with people with a disability. The sport wheelchairs will help give more athletes and citizens with a disability the opportunity to achieve a healthy lifestyle through sport.

Beijing, China - The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today announced that the men's team from I.R. Iran has withdrawn from the tournament due to dissatisfaction with the draw proposed for the cross-over round and subsequent schedule.

One male and one female who best exemplify the spirit of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games will receive the ‘Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award’. The Prize is for Paralympians that not only achieve sporting excellence, but also exceptionally inspire and excite the world. The winners of the Prize will each receive a medal made out of 75 grams pure gold at the Closing Ceremony on 17 September.

When walking around the Olympic Green or making your way through the halls of the Water Cube, one can easily see that these are modern times that we are living in. And with that progress in architectural design, comes the progress of societal norms. One major evolution with regard to the Games is the role that women have in Paralympic Sport.

Beijing, China – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) yesterday were informed about an adverse analytical finding (positive laboratory test) of German Wheelchair Basketball player Ahmet Coskun, who failed an out-of-competition test performed by the German National Doping Agency (NADA) on 23 August 2008 during a training camp in Germany. He was tested positive for the prohibited substance of Finasterid, a non-performance enhancement medication.

Beijing, China - The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today announced two further anti-doping rule violations, which occurred at the occasion of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Beijing, China – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is proud to announce that the first edition of ParalympicSport.TV’s news-show “SIXTY Seconds” reached more than 600,000 viewers in just two days on the YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/paralympicsporttv. Additionally, several records have been made on the YouTube Channel in terms of comparative views. The channel was number one on 10 September in a number of categories, including “Most Viewed”, “Most Viewed – Directors”, and “Most Viewed – Partners”. This week the channel was also number one in “Most Viewed – Germany”, and number 35 in “Most Viewed – Worldwide”.

Beijing, China - The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today announced the first anti-doping rule violation, which occurred at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Beijing, China - The result of the women’s 5000m T54 race at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on 7 September was withdrawn and the Jury of Appeal has ordered the re-run of the race to be held on 12 September at 9:00. The re-run of the race was decided after a crash that led to only five out of the 11 competitors finishing the race and the injury of three athletes. The Jury of Appeal made the decision after some nations filed appeals and closely examining footage of the race.

Beijing, China - A massive Opening Ceremony in Beijing welcomed the world to the Paralympic Games. The ceremony, which took place in the "Bird’s Nest", was witnessed by a full house of spectators from all over the world.

Beijing, China - The 51st meeting of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board (GB) concluded yesterday in Beijing, China, two days before the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. The focus during the two days of meetings was the upcoming Games, with an official update on the final preparations from BOCOG's President Liu Qi.