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(IWBF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today announced that the men's team from I.R. Iran has withdrawn from the tournament due to dissatisfaction with the draw proposed for the cross-over round and subsequent schedule.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