The number of cheerleading volunteers is said to be the largest in Olympics history.

“The volunteer cheering squads have been trained and will lead a vast number of spectators in creating a festive atmosphere for the Games,” officials of the organising committee told reporters.

As the Games is approaching, “volunteers are receiving an intense training”, Shen Qianfan, Deputy Director of the Coordinating Group of Beijing Organising Committee of Olympic Games (BOCOG) Volunteer Department said.

The volunteers have been drawn from the communities, companies, enterprises, high schools and universities to “promote a civilised way of watching the Games”, Shen said.

China has also recruited one million social volunteers to provide services during the Games in communities, towns and townships, public areas around the Olympic venues and along the traffic routes.

“The aim was to create a “harmonious and beautiful environment and maintain a peaceful and stable social order,” the officials said.

Social volunteers are deployed to work in 10 different areas, including maintenance of traffic order, city transport operation, security patrol, medical service and ecological protection.