"Last year, I visited China and saw the rehearsal, it's well organized and the organizing committee officials are very professional, I am sure that Shanghai Special Olympics will achieve a great success," Ayman Wahab, managing director of Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa, told Xinhua before a reception held at the Chinese embassy here in Egypt.

Speaking of the Special Olympic Athlete Oath "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt," Wahab said that the Special Olympics aims at encouraging more and more special people to join this event, hoping that the Shanghai Special Olympics can boost efforts to pay more attention to the special group.

He also noted that it's the first time for Egypt, the Middle East and the North Africa region to welcome the Special Olympic torch, which is a big event in the history of this country and the region, with the contributed efforts of government ministers and also Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, honorary chairperson of Special Olympics Egypt.

Wahab expressed belief that the torch relay event will promote the development of Special Olympics in Egypt, the region and the whole world.

For their parts, Ismail Osman, Chairman of Special Olympics Egypt, and Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity and Supply Ali Mesilhi hailed the achievements China has made on social and economic, sports and culture sectors, as well as the increasing influence of China in the international arena, wishing better developments to China and a success to Shanghai Special Olympics.

Chinese ambassador Wu Sike noted that the Shanghai Special Olympics will not only be a grand event of special people around the world, but also a pageant which will demonstrate a harmonious world and peaceful coexistence, which will promote cultural exchange among countries and syncretization of human civilization.

A torch igniting ceremony was scheduled to be held on Monday in front of the Alexandria Library in the northern Egyptian port city of Alexandria, some 220 km northwest to Cairo, and there will be a torch running at the ancient castle in the city.

On Monday evening, a grand celebration ceremony will be held in front of the Giza Pyramids in Cairo to welcome the arrival of the flame.

Egypt, where the International Special Olympics Middle East and North Africa office is situated, is the first stop of the torch relay. The flame was collected in Greece on June 29, and England will welcome the torch following its trip in Egypt.

The 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai from October 2 to 11. More than 10,000 athletes and coaches, 20,000 family members from over 160 countries and regions are expected to show up.