London 2012 blog

Here in a cool Cairo the National Convention Centre is hotting up as 27 nations come together at the African Education Seminar and Congress. Participants will hear about global issues affecting the Paralympic movement and in the seminars/workshops later in the week learn the skills and exchange experience to develop the effectiveness when they return home.

Africa is one of sport's and IPC's most complex challenges - thousands of people, men and women, boys and girls become disabled every year because of war, disease, starvation and poverty.

When you combine these characteristics with the disconnect between communities and the long travel distances you start to understand a little Africa's complexity.

If ever one continent deserved the inspiration and self-belief brought about by sport so well articulated by Seb Coe when presenting London's bid for the Games, then Africa is that continent.
















Dr Nabil Salem (right), President of the African Paralympic Committee and Egyptian Paralympic Committee, with Patrick Jarvis (left), IPC's representative on the IOC London 2012 Coordination Commission. Both Nabil and Patrick are IPC Board Members.

These days in Cairo are just one more step on the long road to the realisation of that London 2012 vision. When I made my presentation, the main interest from National Paralympic Committees was about taking advantage of the training grants and how to access the grants.

This is especially important for African nations who are relatively poor and without our grants probably wouldn't be able to send their athletes over to train before the 2012 Games.

Of the 100 participants there are a number of new nations present like Burkina Faso. The majority of the others are rarely seen outside their own countries at these kinds of events, because of lack of funds.

And they'll only be at the Paralympic Games every four years as 'wild card' entries under the universality criteria for entries, whereby all countries are entitled to send two athletes to the Games even if they fail to qualify according to the usual requirements of the sport. (You may remember Ernie 'the Eel' from Mozambique in the Swimming heats in Sydney? - he was in on a 'wild card'.)

It really is great to see those countries here because it is a sign of progress in Africa - not only for sport but often for the increasing profile and support given to disabled people at home by their governments.