Kuwait: With the one-year countdown to the 3rd Asian Beach Games 2012 in Haiyang, China, under way, the next major milestone for the organisers and the Olympic Council of Asia is the Chefs de Mission Seminar for team leaders of the 45 National Olympic Committees.

The seminar has been fixed for Monday and Tuesday, September 5-6, with delegates arriving on the Monday in time for a full programme of activities the following day.

It is planned to hold a venue tour on Tuesday morning, which will take in the spectacular scenery of Jiulong (Nine Dragons) Lake in Mount Zhaohu National Forest Park – setting for the dragon boat competition.

As well as the other venues, including the beach front sports hubs, delegates will also be able to see the Asian Beach Games Village for 1,600 athletes, 750 team officials and 2,000 media, the newly-built five-star hotel headquarters and other Games infrastructure such as the security centre and arrival and departure base.

The main seminar will be held in the afternoon, with a presentation by the organisers covering all logistical and administrative aspects of the Games, followed by a question and answer session among the delegates.

The 3rd Asian Beach Games will run from June 16-22, 2012, and feature 45 events in 12 sports: beach volleyball, beach soccer, beach handball, beach basketball, beach sepaktakraw, beach kabaddi, woodball, dragon boat, powered paragliding, roller skating, sport climbing and windsurfing.

Organising committee HABGOC celebrated the one-year countdown on Thursday, June 16, with the presence of Liu Peng, Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee and of HABGOC.