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Olympic basketballer Lauren Jackson has been named as the Ambassador to the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games to be held in Newcastle later this year.
The event's committee also announced today the opening ceremony will be held at Hunter Stadium on December 1st.
More than 2000 athletes, coaches and carers from 32 countries will be in the city for the Special Olympics starting on November 30.
Jackson, who is taking the year away from basketball in the US to study, says she is proud to be the event's ambassador.
"A lot of these athletes are actually competing in multiple sports which you know it's unheard of so there's so much joy and like I said the spirit is just going to be amazing."
Jackson is encouraging the community to support the games.
"The spirit of the intellectually disabled athletes and what they do it's something we should all aspire to in sport.
"Sport brings people together and here in Newcastle as well it's going to be amazing I just feel like there's going to be so much support and people involved so it's going to be great.
"The more people here the better, sport's in our culture."
Special Olympics committee Chairman John Trevillian says he hopes Lauren Jackson will help bring attention and support to the Games.
"There's no greater icon, current icon in Australian sport than Lauren Jackson," he said.
"(She was) the flag bearer at the London Olympics and just such a nice person with it and we're absolutely thrilled."
Topics: basketball, sports-organisations, disabilities, newcastle-2300
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