大象传媒

The days are ticking down fast to the start of the and excitement is building, not only for the athletes, but also for those of us who are involved in the 大象传媒 coverage.

The Great Britain team for the Games, which begin on 6 September, is already , and more sports will announce their squad selections over the coming weeks.

GB expect to send a team of around 350 athletes and staff to Beijing - that's more than the 283 who were in - mainly because the five-a-side and seven-a-side football teams have both qualified this time around.

Britain has a proud history in Paralympic sport over the years but having finished second to China in the , it's going to be a tough task for GB to match that this time around.

More nations are taking disability sport seriously and competition standards are rising across the world.

We have a chance to see how some of the GB team's preparations are going ahead of Beijing at the , which takes place in Manchester from 7-11 May, with from 1600-1745 BST on Sunday 11 May.

The event, which is in its fourth year, features basketball, swimming, cycling and athletics and is the biggest multi-sport event ahead of Beijing.

The GB men's and women's team take part in the basketball with the men, bronze medallists in Athens four years ago, facing the USA, Sweden and Germany while the women take on China, Brazil and the Netherlands.

Like their able-bodied counterparts, both the GB cycling and swimming teams are top of their respective fields.

The GB cycling team will include the likes of Paralympic champions Darren Kenny and tandem pair Aileen McGlynn and Ellen Hunter plus male tandem pairing Anthony Kappes and Jon Norfolk and swimmers turned cyclists .

In past years, world records have tumbled at the as the GB team make the most of racing on their home track and they will expect more of the same this year.

Swimming too is where GB excels, having topped the medals table at the last World Championships in South Africa in late 2006.

The programme in Manchester is just a taster of what will be on offer in Beijing but the likes of home stars , Nyree Lewis, James Anderson, Dave Roberts and Natalie Jones will be hoping to impress the crowds, along with overseas stars including South Africa's Natalie du Toit.

This will be the first major event for a British athletics team without , who retired at last year's event after winning 11 Paralympic golds over an illustrious career.

However, Tanni will still be involved, both in Manchester and also in Beijing as part of the 大象传媒's coverage.

South African double amputee sprinter will be another absentee. He appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his Olympic Games ban on 29 and 30 April.

Athletics's governing body the IAAF has said that the 21-year-old cannot race in able-bodied events because his prosthetic limbs give him an unfair advantage.

Pistorius disagrees and is hoping CAS will lift the ban, which could allow him compete at the Beijing Olympics.

Back to those who will be competing in Manchester, and the recent London Marathon winner as he switches attention back to the track from the road.

There are chances for some rising stars like Katrina Hart, Ian Jones and Nathan Stephens to stake their claims for Beijing places.

The five days of competition promises plenty of excitement and keen competition.

Organisers will also be hoping that the weather is a little kinder than last year where, thanks to some persistent Manchester rain, Tanni ended up looking like a drowned rat and I was grateful that I had spent 拢15 on a raincoat the day before after forgetting to pack one when I travelled up to the North West.