ATHENS, Sept. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Hours before the Athens Paralympic Games starts Friday night, the final tally of participating delegations was announced to be 136, less than expected but already exceeding the participation at the 2000 Sydney games.

    The organizers had predicted that there would be over 140 countries and regions participating in the Athens Games. But the number declined due to the last-minute withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Togo, Cameroon, Gaboon, Sierra Leone, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Lebanon, Myanmar and Vanuatu.

    However, even with the reduced number of participating delegations at 136, Athens has already set a new record in the history of the Paralympic Games.

    The previous record number was set at the 2000 Games in Sydney, where 123 countries and regions took part.

    Uzbekistan, which had planned to quit, was among the last group of delegations to arrive in Athens.

    The Athens Games will officially start at about 20:30 hours Friday evening (local time) at the Athens Olympic Stadium. Some 3,800 athletes from across the world will compete in 19 sports. The Games close on September 28. Enditem