"It was my first time to come to the Hengqin International Tennis Center to participate in the competition, and the venue facilities and volunteer services were very good, and I felt like 'home'." On November 30, Wang Ziying, an athlete in the wheelchair group of the Sichuan team, said with satisfaction after the first round of the competition.

"I have been here for test matches before, and now the stadium environment and service facilities for official matches have improved a lot, which feels great." Hong Kong athlete Deng Zhiwei said.

The tennis competition of the 12th Paralympic Games and the 9th Special Olympics Games of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Special Olympics") was held at the Hengqin International Tennis Center from November 28 to December 5.

From hardware adaptation to various services, from medical security to food safety, Hengqin made all-round intimate preparations to make the participating athletes feel full of warmth.

In order to meet the needs of the Special Olympics, the Hengqin International Tennis Center will carry out renovation and upgrading projects from 2024, and fully complete the barrier-free adaptation, including barrier-free passages, blind lane layouts, barrier-free parking spaces, barrier-free toilets, barrier-free elevators, etc., so that athletes can travel unimpeded and go to the arena with all their hearts.

During the competition, in response to the needs of athletes with hearing impairments, the event was equipped with exclusive sign language teachers, and 268 volunteers were also strengthened sign language training and practical courses such as emergency first aid were added, and a 48-person volunteer team was formed on the city side.

Medical points for athletes and spectators were set up on site, equipped with first aid equipment and commonly used medicines, to provide targeted medical support for different groups of people. 28 medical staff participated in special training on service etiquette and anti-doping for the disabled, and some medical staff also received professional sign language training.

Food safety is the top priority of the event. According to reports, in order to ensure the food safety of the Paralympic tennis event in an all-round way, the Commercial Service Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin focuses on the core competition-related venues such as athletes and technical officials receiving hotels, media recommended hotels, and staff collective meal distribution units to establish a "on-site supervision + dynamic inspection" mechanism. Before the competition, the technical officials received the hotel's bright kitchen and stove upgraded, added 46 video surveillance points and connected to the online supervision platform; During the event, a special class followed up on key links such as ingredient procurement and acceptance, kitchen operation, and finished product sample retention, and introduced third-party technicians to assist in supervising the kitchen.

From the arena to food and accommodation, the meticulous guarantee made the contestants praise it.

"Whether it is travel, communication or daily care, you can feel the intention and thoughtfulness of the organizers." "Playing here is as comfortable as coming home." The athletes lamented that such an event experience allowed them to focus more on their competitive level and achieve good results.