Tony, Paralympic guru
Beijing awakening to disability issues
, 28 May 2008
'The presence of a special guide denotes progress,' according to Mike Brace, the chairman of the British Paralympic Association. 'It's a clumsy attempt to override years of limited awareness. It's not ideal, but up to seven years ago, they might not have acknowledged disabled people at all.'
A positive step for change at the IPC
, 3 December 2007
On 24th and 25th November the IPC held the General Assembly (GA) of nations, regions, sports and international disability sports organizations in Seoul Korea the country where historically the modern Paralympic Games came of age in 1988 with the first extensive use of the Olympic facilities. Nearly 100 members attended, a record for a GA. There were a number of resolutions, of which the one concerning athletes with an intellectual disability is key for London 2012.
In short, at the Sydney 2000 Games two able-bodied reporters managed to infiltrate the gold medal-winning intellectually disabled basketball team. As a result, athletes with an intellectual disability were suspended from Paralympic Games and IPC championships. Seven years of discussion and research had not yielded a solution.
But at the GA a motion presented to the Assembly by Iceland and strengthened by an amendment from the British Paralympic Association provided an opportunity to see those athletes re-admitted for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Inspiring Paralympic Committees
, 19 September 2007
The European Paralympic Committee (EPC) Conference and General Assembly in Crete last week was the last in my reports to Regional PCs, which started with Asia in Kuala Lumpur last November, followed by Africa in Cairo in January this year, then Americas in Rio last month. [Apologies are extended to our antipodeans that I didn’t make it this time…maybe I’ll get down under in the next version of these Assemblies in 2009.]
The EPC Conference kicked off the first day with presentations from a number of organisations involved with the session theme ‘Youth Sports Development’ – a theme very close to our own hearts. IWBF Europe (Wheelchair Basketball) reported on initiatives they were taking in terms of coach/trainer development and the organisation of multi-country clinics followed by a competitive event to finish: some of these activities are funded by the EU.
Presenting at the Para Pan-Americans
, 20 August 2007
Another Paralympic Games first for London
, 2 July 2007
Tanni – end of an era or beginning of…?
, 14 May 2007
You could hardly pick up a paper or magazine and not see the smiling ‘demure’ face of the girl of Korea 1988 who had become such a famous woman, Tanni Grey-Thompson.
What is unknown is that from those early days it could have gone so terribly wrong.
Her first Paralympic Games, Korea ’88 were my third as Chef de Mission and I looked on concerned as I saw her fall-in with the roughs of the team, the field-eventers. I think they felt they were being paternal but in those days their principle performance enhancers were booze and fags. Not a good example for an impressionable young girl….or was it?
'Paralympic' - what's in a name?
, 26 February 2007
Hopefully you will know that 'Paralympic' means 'parallel to' or 'running alongside' the Olympic Games - a corruption of 'parallel' and 'Olympic', which of course when disabled sportsmen and women other than paraplegics joined the fray became a nonsense..
Into Africa
, 22 January 2007
Report from the Kuala Lumpur Regional Paralympic Games
, 1 December 2006
The main reason for my attendance in KL was to attend the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board on behalf of London 2012. Our Chairman, Seb Coe, gave our Progress Report personally by video-link. It is clear the board are now firmly of the view that London will deliver inspirational Paralympic and Olympic Games in 2012.
The Far Eastern & South Pacific Paralympic Games started in the 60s as an offshoot of the Commonwealth Games. In those days everyone competed in multiple sports so it was feasible to hold a week's competition with a few hundred athletes.
Read more of “Report from the Kuala Lumpur Regional Paralympic Games”
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