The Hong Kong delegation is smaller than the one that went to Athens, where they took 19 medals, including 11 golds. Mr Ng is confident, however, that the city has excellent chances.

'There will be no team event for wheelchair fencing, which is one of our strengths. Hong Kong had 11 fencers in the Athens Games in 2004 but with the cancellation of the group fencing event, the team has shrunk to six. This is a big blow, but we are hearty and willing to fight.

'We have Hong Kong favourites like sprinter So Wa-wai who are tipped to win medals. Hongkongers will enjoy seeing Nelson Yip Siu-hong on his horse Icey Bet in Sha Tin. There is a lot to be excited about.'

The 4,200 athletes will be joined by 2,500 coaches and officials from 148 countries and regions. The venues are once again swinging into high gear in preparation. Ramps are being tested, transport arranged and medal ceremonies rehearsed.

And the Olympic Village reopened this weekend following modifications for the disabled. 'Tactile and accessible pavements as well as other facilities for people with disabilities are installed in public areas,' said Deng Yaping, the spokeswoman for the village. 'The serving tables were all lowered, the passageways were also enlarged to facilitate the access of athletes and wheelchair-traction services by golf carts are also available.'

In Hong Kong, the 73 athletes competing in dressage are divided into five categories from most severely impaired to least. Riders with similar levels of impairment compete together, and those who have difficulty seeing can use audio devices around the arena to help them navigate. Yip is the only qualified disabled athlete from Hong Kong and he is classified as Grade II.

An agreement between the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee in 2001 required host countries to prepare for both events in their bids.

This came after the success of the Seoul Paralympic Summer Games in 1988 when both Games were held at the same venues.

The movement has grown dramatically since its first days. The number of athletes participating in Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 men and women from 23 countries in Rome in 1960 to 3,969 athletes from 146 countries in Athens in 2004.

The Paralympics took root in 1948 when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition in Stoke Mandeville, England, to coincide with the opening ceremony of the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Sir Ludwig's contest involved competition for wheelchair athletes, many of them second world war veterans with spinal cord injuries.

These sports events continued on a small scale, with word of them passing through each hospital, county, city and eventually moving through countries as therapists cottoned onto the idea of marrying rehabilitation with sport. In 1960, Rome was host to the first Olympic-style Games for disabled athletes immediately after the Olympics.

Nearly 400 athletes from 23 countries competed in eight sports, six of which are still included in today's programme: archery, swimming, fencing, basketball, table tennis and athletics. Powerlifting, equestrian and rowing are sports that Beijing is involved in for the first time.

China's delegation has 547 representatives, 130 more athletes than in 2004. For the first time, China will also participate in the wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, rowing, sailing, boccia, goalball, football five-a-side and football seven-a-side.

It is hoped that the Games will lead to greater awareness and services for the disabled on the mainland. On Friday, Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang made such an appeal while inspecting the Beijing South Railway Station.

Mr Zhou toured facilities for the disabled at the station such as lanes for the blind and special lifts, Xinhua reported.

'We should spare no efforts in providing the best service and maintaining security for the Paralympics,' Mr Zhou said.

He then took the intercity express from Beijing to Tianjin , where he inspected facilities.

The number of participants in the first Paralympics held in Rome: 400

China's team to Atlanta in 2004 had 417 members. In Beijing the number is: 547

The number of riders participating in the equestrian dressage in Hong Kong: 73