A five-member Chinese team, all of whom are organ transplant recipients, will depart for the city of Nancy in France today to participate in the 14th World Transplant Games, due to run through July 19 to 27. Some 3,000 people from around the world are likely to take part in the event.
Each person on the team has either received a kidney or a liver. They will take part in 15 events, including table tennis and swimming.
Zhao Fang, who had a kidney transplanted 12 years ago, is heading up the team as she has already taken part in the games twice.
"It's a completely different feeling this time. My partners and I are determined to break the zero-medal record," said the 30-something college teacher.
Chen Zhonghua, an expert in transplant surgery at Tongji Medical College in Wuhan, Hubei Province, said: "They have demonstrated a complete recovery to normal activities and physical well-being."
(China Daily July 17, 2003)