International Journalists Travel to Cover Special Olympics

The Hungarian delegation at the Special Olympics greets journalists from their country with hugs and kisses. They are truly honored to have the media coverage and the journalists are happy to oblige.

Hungarian journalist Rapai Csaba explains that his job is "to show the Hungarian people and make them interested about the Special Olympics because in Europe it is not popular yet."

Even though there are hundreds of journalists at the Special Olympics from all over the world, they say the athletes still do not get the coverage they deserve. They aim to change this.

Geshom Nyathi, an African journalist, spent 24 hours on an airplane traveling from Zimbabwe. This is the 2nd time he has covered the Special Olympics.

"I think the Special Olympics is a very good cause," he says. "My major aim is to give them the publicity they deserve at home. They need to be talked about in the print media and radio."

British journalist Steven Bloch lives with a disability. His experience has given him a passion for covering the Special Olympics.

"I did not expect it to be on this mammoth of a scale," he says. "It is quite stupendous."

The journalists hope to bring a clear picture of the games back to their countries.

The media for the event is working out of theEmbassy Suitesin Cary. There are 70 computer terminals with Internet access which reporters can use to send back their stories. With time zones which vary as much as 24 hours, it is sure to be a busy place throughout the week.

Starting Monday, WRAL will broadcast nightly specials from 7:30 to 8 p.m. through Friday night. If you miss that, you can also catch a five-minute recap of the day's happenings every night after the 11:00 News.

Traffic will obviously be affected by the World Games. For updates throughout the day, you can checkTriangle Traffic. Some roads have been closed until the Games end, including Dan Allen Drive, Cates Avenue and Morrill Street, all in Raleigh.

The World Games end July 4.