Beijing organizers say athletes and accredited officials will be offered free international travel and accommodation at the 2008 Paralympic Games.

"The Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG) will cover the international travel expenses of all the athletes and accredited officials at the 2008 Paralympics, and provide them with free accommodation in Beijing as well," Zhang Qiuping, director of BOCOG 's Paralympic Games Department, told a press conference Friday.

"It will be the first time that the participants of the Paralympic Games enjoy equal treatment as their counterparts of the Olympic Games," he added.

Since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, it has become an established practice that the organizing committee offer free international air tickets and games-time accommodation to all athletes and accredited delegates. According to an agreement signed between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2001, it will also be applied to the Paralympic Games as of the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

"BOCOG is actually the first organizing committee that runs both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games," said Zhang.

The 2008 Paralympic Games will be held from September 6 to 17, 2008, 12 days after the Olympic Games has concluded.

The 2008 Paralympics will use the same venues as the Olympic Games, said Zhang.

Some 4,000 athletes and 2,500 officials from about 150 countries and regions are expected to take part in the 2008 Paralympics.

(Xinhua News Agency May 20, 2006)