IPC WELCOMES 2005: THE INTERNATIONAL YEAROF SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATIONMINDSIn November 2003, the United Nations(UN) General Assembly proclaimed 2005as the International Year of Sport andPhysical Education (IYSPE). At this sessionthe UN adopted a resolution stressing thepotential of sport and the need to buildglobal partnerships to use sports as a toolfor development and peace in 2005.

On 11 February 2005, IPC President PhilCraven and the Special Adviser to the UNSecretary General on Sport forDevelopment and Peace, Adolf Ogi, signeda Memorandum of Understanding at theIPC Headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Thisdocument provides the basis for mutual co-operation between the two organizations in2005 and beyond.

The agreement aims to use the resourcesand experience of both organizations towork together, to promote the value ofsport as a means for development for per-

INSIDE

ISSUE

12005

Almost 2 BillionView ATHENS2004 Paralympicsp. 2

IPC ExtraordinaryGeneral Assemblyp. 4

Draw in Athletes’Council Electionp. 5

IPC LaunchesNew Awardsp. 7

What is ADAMS?p. 13

SPIRIT IN MOTION

PARALYMPIANTHE Official Newsletter of the International Paralympic Committee

Skiers Test the Slopes inTorino p.2

Wheelchair Dance Sportin Japan p.10

Paralympic Pull-out Posterp. 8-9

IPC Development Specialp.14-15

sons with a disability. The agreement willalso provide the basis for potential futureco-operation between the IPC and the UN.

The I2005 YSPE was officially launched on5 November 2004 by the UN SecretaryGeneral Kofi Annan. At that event, Mr.Annan stated: "Sport is a universal lan-guage. At its best it can bring peopletogether, no matter what their origin, back-ground, religious beliefs or economic status.And when young people participate insports or have access to physical educa-tion, they can experience real exhilarationeven as they learn the ideals of teamworkand tolerance..."

The IPC has several projects plannedthroughout 2005 to work with the UN andother international organizations. Furtherdetails of these projects are outlined onpage 14 of this issue.

IPC President Phil Craven and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Developmentand Peace, Adolf Ogi, signing a Memorandum of Understanding at IPC Headquarters in Bonn.

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Despite having smaller cumulativeaudiences, the market share was highin New Zealand (26.4%), Switzerland(21.6%) and Austria (21.1%). Of the17 countries, Brazil showed the great-est coverage of the Paralympics witha total of 168 hours of actual broad-cast time, including 115 hours live, fol-lowed by Spain (124hrs whereof31hrs live) and Greece (82hrs includ-ing 57hrs live).

In addition, Reuters transmitted dailycoverage to 446 clients in 200 coun-tries. These numbers do not includeaffiliates which number in the thou-sands.

Statistics for another 12 countries arestill pending. A final report will be post-ed in March on the IPC website:www.paralympic.org.

2004 was certainly asuccessful year, thepinnacle being theATHENS 2004Paralympic Games andthe IPC ExtraordinaryGeneral Assembly(EGA). The EGA rati-fied a number of keymotions, including thenew Constitution andthe Nomination and

Election Procedures for the IPCGoverning Board. These changes willhelp the IPC function more effectivelyas we move into the future. Until elec-tions take place at the IPC GeneralAssembly in Beijing in November2005, the members of the IPCExecutive Committee will act as theGoverning Board (GB). The closing ofnominations for persons running forthe GB is August.

The year 2005 also promises to beexciting, not only because of the elec-tions but because we have signed anumber of Memorandums ofUnderstanding or Co-operativeAgreements with organizations whichwe think can strengthen the work ofthe IPC and help us reach commongoals. Most of our new partnershipprojects are already underway andyou can read more about these in thisissue of The Paralympian.

This is the International Year of Sportand Physical Education and we willtake this opportunity to make surethat Paralympic sport is kept on theagenda. 2005 marks the five-yearcountdown to the Vancouver 2010Paralympic Winter Games, leavesBeijing three years to go to the 2008Paralympics and is one year out fromthe Torino 2006 Paralympic WinterGames. In March, I will therefore visitTorino and Vancouver to take part inevents celebrating the coming of theParalympic Winter Games. On 10March, IPC HQ in Bonn will send outthe invitations to the NationalParalympic Committees for Torino. Iwill also be present at the unveiling ofthe Torino 2006 Winter Paralympicsmascot and the release of the ticket-ing information. Make sure that youplan to join us for the next thrillingParalympic Winter Games!

The IPC and the ParalympicMovement have grown rapidly in thelast five years and we are becomingmore professional in what we do,encouraging us to strive for highergoals. We endeavour to keep our worktransparent and always enjoy feed-back from all Paralympic Family mem-bers and friends, so please send yourcomments to info@paralympic.org.Assist us in further strengthening theIPC and the Paralympic Movement!

Strengthening IPC

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2THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

Phil Craven, MBEIPC President

Around 150 athletes from 19 coun-tries competed in Biathlon andCross-Country (middle distance andrelay) at the Nordic Skiing WorldCup, in Pragelato, Italy, from 26 to28 January 2005.

The Nordic Skiing World Cup wasorganized by the Pragelato ValChisone 2005 OrganizingCommittee, in collaboration with theTorino 2006 Organizing Committee(TOROC), the Italian Winter SportsFederation (FISI) and the ItalianDisabled Sports Federation (FISD).

The event allowed the participantsand organizers to test the opera-tional and competition elements inpreparation for the Torino 2006Paralympic Winter Games.

Said IPC Nordic Skiing ChairpersonRita van Driel: "The test event gaveus a good opportunity to assess theprogress being made by TOROCand has given us a chance to refinesome areas in time for the TorinoGames."

PARALYMPIC GAMES: TORINO 2006

10 March 2005:One Year to Torino

A study of the ATHENS 2004Paralympic Games TV coverageconducted in 17 countries hasrevealed that a total cumulated tele-vision audience of 1.852 billionviewed the event. The study wasconducted by international sportsponsorship and media evaluationcompany IFM.

The study monitored 17 countriesand Pan Europe (Eurosport andEuroNews) over the course of theParalympic Games and found that577 hours of total broadcasting timewas screened on 102 channels.Japan had the greatest cumulativeaudience with over 587 million, close-ly followed by France (335 million),Germany (310 million) and China(309 million).

PARALYMPIC GAMES: ATHENS 2004

Almost 2 Billion View ATHENS 2004 Paralympics

Paralympic athlete Danny Crates giving an interview to members of the interna-tional media following his performance at the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games.

Photo: Lieven Coudenys

Skiers Test the Slopes

Participants in the Nordic Skiing World Cup testevent at Pragelato, Torino.

Photo: Archivio Fotografico Provincia di Torino

The IOC Co-ordination Commissionsuccessfully concluded its third visit toBeijing. The Co-ordination Commissioncomprises 16 members, including theIPC Representative, Phil Craven. TheCommission observes and advises onthe progress of the Beijing OrganizingCommittee for the 2008 Olympic andParalympic Games (BOCOG). Areasdiscussed during the meetings heldfrom 27 to 29 October 2004,includedsport, construction, communicationsand marketing.

IPC President and IOC Co-ordinationCommission Member Phil Craven com-mented: "The IPC is satisfied with thestatus of BOCOG's planning. Followingthe ATHENS Organizing Committee's

On 19 January 2005, theVancouver Organizing Committeefor the 2010 Olympic andParalympic Winter Games(VANOC) and the VancouverAgreement (an urban develop-ment initiative of the govern-ments of Canada, BritishColumbia and Vancouver)announced a new partnershipwith Bell Canada that will inject€1.25 million over the next fouryears for the economic revitaliza-tion of the Downtown Eastside.

The investment is part of BellCanada's Premier NationalPartnership with VANOC, andsupports efforts by VANOC andthe Vancouver Agreement toensure that Vancouver's inner-city communities receive oppor-tunities to benefit from hostingthe 2010 Olympic andParalympic Winter Games. The Honourable Stephen Owen,

12 March 2005:Five years to Vancouver

VANOC and Bell Canada join forces. From leftto right: Stephen Owen, Murray Coell, AnneRoberts, Ken Lyotier, Stephen Wetmore, JackPoole.

Minister of Western EconomicDiversification and Minister of State(Sport) stated: "This unique partnershipwill inspire more businesses to getinvolved and help make the 2010Olympic and Paralympic Winter Gamesthe most inclusive ever held."

Bell Canada is the first corporate part-ner to support the VANOC andVancouver Agreement plans to revitalizethe Downtown Eastside's economy. Theinvestment will help foster economicdevelopment such as business opportu-nities to fill vacant Downtown Eastsidecommercial space and jobs for local res-idents.

PARALYMPIC GAMES: VANCOUVER 2010

briefing to BOCOG - which for the firsttime included a section about theParalympics - and BOCOG's veryextensive Observers' Programme con-ducted during the ATHENS 2004Paralympic Games, we expect anacceleration of the activities related tothe preparation of the ParalympicGames."

Since the election of Beijing as hostcity in 2001, the IOC Co-ordinationCommission has visited annually. From2005, there will be two visits per year,with the next planned for May 2005.

BOCOG also made a progress reportto the IPC Sports’ Council in Bonn,held from 17 to 20 February 2005.

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2012 Decision Making Process

Positive Progess for Beijing 2008

BOCOG Representative Shu’an Yang and IPCPresident Phil Craven during the IPC Sports’Council Meeting in Bonn, Germany.

Photo: Jeff Vinnick

Paris (FRA).

The Commission, chaired by Olympicchampion Nawal El Moutawakel andincluding IPC Representative PatrickJarvis, have analysed the files andmade site inspections as follows:

Madrid: 3 - 6 February 2005London: 16 - 19 February 2005New York: 21 - 24 February 2005

PARALYMPIC GAMES: BEIJING 2008

Bell Canada on Board

Paris: 9 - 12 March 2005Moscow: 14 - 17 March 2005.

The Commission will now submit areport to the IOC members, who willthen elect the host city on 6 July2005 during the 117th IOC Session inSingapore.

PARALYMPIC GAMES: 2012

How will the decision be made tochoose which citiy will host the 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games?

The IOC Evaluation Commission hasreceived the Candidature Files fromall five Candidate Cities bidding tohost the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games (in alphabeticalorder): London (GBR), Madrid (ESP),Moscow (RUS), New York (USA) and

A total of 78 National ParalympicCommittees (NPCs), five InternationalOrganizations of Sport for the Disabled(IOSDs) and 18 sports attended theIPC Extraordinary General Assembly(EGA) in Cairo, Egypt, on 25 November2004. During the Assembly, membersof the Paralympic Family covered andvoted on several important issues,which will strengthen the IPC for thefuture. The following provides a briefsummary of the decisions reached dur-ing the EGA.

A clear majority adopted the new

Constitution (87 in favour, 2 against, 2abstentions) and Nomination andElection Procedures for the GoverningBoard (89 in favour, 1 against, 2abstentions). This means that all per-sons standing for election for the IPCGoverning Board in 2005 will start witha clean slate and will be eligible forthree terms (of four years). TheGoverning Board will be elected by theIPC membership at the 2005 GeneralAssembly.

The proposed list of the IPC StandingCommittees and the 2005 budget werealso adopted by the EGA and six newNPCs were approved - Afghanistan,Bangladesh, Iraq, Nepal, Surinam andTimor-Leste - bringing the total numberof NPCs to 161.

It was agreed by a majority of 74 infavour, 18 against and 4 abstentionsthat the International Sports Federationfor Person with an Intellectual Disability(INAS-FID) has not developed a reliable,valid and proven eligibility and verifica-tion system. Despite this fact, the EGAagreed not to exclude athletes with anintellectual disability from IPC sanc-tioned competitions. Instead, whilerecognising that INAS-FID has the pri-mary responsibility, the IPC will activelydirect the process by which mutuallyacceptable eligibility and verification

During its meeting in April 2004, theIPC Executive Committee (now theGoverning Board) agreed that theregional structure of the IPC will bechanged from six to five regions.Therefore, the IPC Middle East Regionwill cease to exist and its membercountries will be included into the IPCAsian Region.

This decision was taken in mutualagreement with the current Middle Eastand Asian Regions and took effect on1 January 2005. Until the GeneralAssembly elections in 2005, both cur-rent Regional Representatives will keeptheir position on the IPC GoverningBoard.

In addition, it was agreed to align themembership of the regional organiza-tions to those of the IOC. As a conse-quence, beginning 1 January 2005 theNPCs of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan

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4THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

Cairo Hosts IPC Extraordinary General Assembly

New IPC Regional Structure

Members of the Paralympic Family votingduring the IPC Extraordinary GeneralAssembly, in Cairo, Egypt.

The five IPC regions.

IPC President Phil Craven and IPCSecretaryGeneral Miguel Sagarra welcomethe six new NPCs.

IPC NEWS

Over 50 representatives from 24 sportsand IOSD and Regional TechnicalRepresentatives from the Africa, Asianand Americas regions met in Bonn,Germany, from 17 to 20 February 2005,for the IPC Sports’ Council Meeting.Interim Chairperson Fred Jansen com-mented: “The Council was very co-oper-ative, taking the time for good discus-sions and decisions in the interest of allsports and the IPC. The meeting had apleasant atmosphere - I sensed a lot ofpassion and drive."

Sports Get TogetherDuring the meeting, a post-evaluation ofthe ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Gameswas conducted, including working groupsessions about the qualification andsport entries procedures and the Gamesofficials' services. The meeting alsoincluded presentations by the Torino2006 and the Beijing 2008 OrganizingCommittees. The fruitful meeting provid-ed a good foundation to move forwardover the next four years.

systems will be developed (e.g. eligibili-ty criteria, sport specific criteria andprotest procedures).

Said IPC President Phil Craven:"Despite the fact that INAS-FID hasnot met the conditions, the IPC mem-bership has reaffirmed that the interestof the athletes comes in first place. Inconsultation with the IPC sports, ath-letes with an intellectual disabilityshould be able to gradually return toIPC sanctioned competitions as ameans of testing the sport specificcomponents of the eligibility and verifi-cation process."

and Uzbekistan (former members ofEurope), have become members ofthe Asian Region, ‘the AsianParalympic Council’.

The Sports’ Council in action.

Dr. Björn Hedmanhas been appointedmember of theWorld Anti-DopingAgency (WADA)Health, Medical andResearchCommittee. As amember of theCommittee, he willcontribute to rec-

ommendations of a scientific nature tothe WADA Executive Committee. Dr.Hedman is a current member of theIPC Governing Board as the MedicalOfficer.

On 4 December 2004, Alan Dicksonwas elected President of the Cerebral

Palsy InternationalSports andRecreationAssociation (CP-ISRA) at its 23rdGeneral Assembly inEdinburgh,Scotland. Mr.Dickson has beeninvolved with CP-ISRA since 1993.

He is a current member of the IPCGoverning Board as the CP-ISRARepresentative.

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Draw in Athletes’Council ElectionFrom 28 to 29 January 2005, membersof the IPC Athletes' Council gatheredat the IPC Headquarters in Bonn,Germany, for their first meeting follow-ing the elections held at the ATHENS2004 Paralympic Games.

During this meeting, RutgerSturkenboom was elected ViceChairperson and Carme Garcia RigauSecretary. The position of Chairpersonremains undecided due to a tiebetween the two candidates, RobertBalk and Ljiljana Ljubisic. Therefore,Vice-Chairperson Rutger Sturkenboomwill act as Interim Chairperson until theAthletes' Council meets again in lateApril for new elections.

Other items on the agenda were: thebudget for 2005, the approval of therenaming of the Athletes' Committee toAthletes' Council, reports fromParalympic Games (2004-2012) andpresentations by the IPC Departments.

Currently, the Athletes' Council consistsof the following members: Robert Balk(USA), Konstantinos Fykas (Greece),Ana Garcia-Arcicollar Vallejo (Spain),Carme Garcia Rigau (Spain), Beatrice

Member of the IPC Athletes’ Council, from left to right, top: Ana Garcia-Arcicollar Vallejo,Robert Balk, Ljiljana Ljubisic, Rutger Sturkenboom, Tanja Kari; bottom: IPC President PhilCraven, Carme Garcia Rigau, Rania Elwani, Konstantinos Fykas.

Taking Stock in Torino

The IPC Games Liaison Committee andthe Organizing Committee for theTorino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games(TOROC) held its third meeting inTorino, Ital, from 9 to 10 December.TOROC presented progress reportsand the next steps to be taken to theIPC.

Topics covered in the meeting includeaccommodation, accreditation, market-ing and broadcasting, with significantprogress made in the areas of trans-portation, medical services and technol-ogy. Improvement has also been madewith regards to the accommodation forthe Paralympic Family.

François Terranova, Chairperson of theIPC Games Liaison Committee, stated:

Appointments

Photo: Cynthia Rüehmekorf

Venue plan for the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

Dr. York Chow wasrecently appointedas the Secretaryfor Health, Welfare& Food for theHong Kong govern-ment. Dr. Chow is acurrent member ofthe IPC GoverningBoard as VicePresident of Policy,

Planning and Development.

"We have seen progress in manyimportant areas since the lastGames Liaison meeting was held. Inthe last two days, we have empha-sised the need for enhanced com-munication now that the Games arejust a little over one year away. Atthis point of time, our main concernis the TOROC budget deficit andhow it will affect the ParalympicWinter Games. We are waiting for thedecision, to then be able to get anoverview of the implications on theservices provided to the Paralym-pics."

The Torino 2006 Paralympic WinterGames will take place from 10 to 19March 2006 in Torino, Sestriere,Pragelato and Pinerolo, Italy.

Hess (France), Tanja Kari (Finland),Ljiljana Ljubisic (Canada) and RutgerSturkenboom (The Netherlands). RaniaElwani (Egypt) is the new IOCRepresentative to the Athletes'Council. Kjartam Haugen has acceptedthe position as Member at Large fol-lowing the withdrawl of Michael Milton,until new elections are held at theTorino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.

IPC NEWS

© TOROC

Scotland. Organized by the LocalOrganising Committee under the aus-pices of the World Curling Federation(WCF), the event included 80 athletesfrom 16 countries. The Championshipswere the final opportunity to qualify forthe Torino 2006 Paralympic WinterGames, where this sport will debut onthe Paralympic programme.

The first shot of the event was deliv-ered by the current Olympic CurlingChampion Rhona Martin directed byIPC President Phil Craven. On 18January, HRH Princess Anne alsoattended the event to meet with ath-letes and volunteers and to watchsome of the games.

After beating Denmark 7:5 in a closefinal, the Scottish National Team ofFrank Duffy, Michael McCreadie, TomKillin, Angie Malone and Ken Dicksonwas named the Wheelchair CurlingWorld Champion for the second year in

From 17 to 22 January 2005, the thirdWheelchair Curling World Champion-ships took place in Braehead,

"Wheelchair Curling has seen a remarkable success in a relatively short period of time. We are delighted to be partof the Paralympic Family who have welcomed and supported the introduction of Wheelchair Curling" said Kate

Caithness, World Curling Federation Wheelchair Curling Chairperson.

From 12 to 15 May 2005, morethan 350 athletes from around50 countries will compete atthe first Paralympic World Cup,taking place in Manchester,Great Britain. The ParalympicWorld Cup is set to be one ofthe biggest annual multi-sportevents featuring Athletics,Cycling (track), Swimming andWheelchair Basketball competi-tions.

The event promises to providea very high level of competitionand excitement as some of theworld's top teams are alreadylined up to take part. Athletesand teams from Australia,Germany, Great Britain, France,Japan, the Netherlands, Spain,Sweden and the USA are com-mitted to participate.

Three of the biggest stars inAthletics Tanni Grey-Thompson(GBR), Oscar Pistorius (RSA)and Danny Crates (GBR) have

already confirmed their partici-pation.

The Paralympic World Cup isan IPC sanctioned event, withtechnical support provided bythe IPC, IPC Athletics,Swimming, and Cycling and theInternational WheelchairBasketball Federation. The IPCis pleased to be sanctioningthe Paralympic World Cup andhas licensed the rights of thisinternational multi-sport compe-tition from 2005-2007, to behosted in Manchester, to theBritish Paralympic Association(BPA).

For more information about theevent and how to purchasetickets please visit the officialwebsite www.paralympicworld-cup.com.

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6THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

Wheelchair Curling Puts It On Ice

Paralympic World Cup Ups the Pace

British Paralympians Tanni Grey-Thompson (Athletics) andSinclair Thomas (Wheelchair Basketball) show their support.

HRH Princess Anne visited the 2005Wheelchair Curling Champs held in Scotland.

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"The Paralympic World Cup is the per-fect annual event for my sport. It will

offer top-level competition on a regularbasis and will expand awareness of

elite disability sport" statedParalympian Tanni Grey-Thompson.

IPC President Phil Craven said: "TheIPC is very pleased that Athletics,Cycling, Swimming and Wheelchair

Basketball - four Paralympic sports -will be showcased in Manchester in2005. I am sure that the Paralympic

World Cup will be yet another opportu-nity for Paralympians to inspire and

excite the world!"

WORLD CUP

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: WHEELCHAIR CURLING

Frank Duffy, of the Scottish WheelchairCurling team makes a crucial shot.

a row. The Swiss team won the bronzemedal beating Sweden 10:0. Norwayplaced fifth, overcoming Canada 11:0.

Photo: Hakan Sundstrom

A photograph of the SpanishParalympic swimmer Xavi Torres,taken by British photographer BobMartin for Sports Illustrated, has beenselected by the World Press Photo asthe Best Sports Photo of the Year2004 in the category: Sports ActionSingle. The photo was taken in 2004during the heats of the men's 200m(S5) at the ATHENS 2004 ParalympicGames.

The photograph waschosen out of 69,190entries contributed by4,266 professionalphotographers from123 countries.

The World Press Photois the most prestigiousinternational annualcompetition for pressphotography. Prizesare awarded in tencategories to 59 pho-tographers. The award

In 2005, the IPC will be presenting anumber of awards to members of theParalympic Family and others for theirunique contributions to the ParalympicMovement.

The Paralympic Sport Awards will bepresented to a number of athletes inthe categories: Best Male Athlete, BestFemale Athlete, Best TeamPerformance, Best Paralympic GamesDebut and Exemplary ParalympicGames Official.

The Paralympic Media Awards will beawarded to members of the interna-tional media in the following categories:Broadcast, Print, Photo and Radio.

The Paralympic Scientific Award willrecognize one outstanding contributor(academic or scientific) to the field ofsport for persons with a disability.

The nomination procedure for allParalympic Awards will open on 1 April2005. Please continue to check theIPC website www.paralympic .orgfor further details.

2005 IPC Nordic Skiing WC 12 - 20 Mar 2005 Fort Kent, ME, USA2005 IPC Archery WC 25 Sept - 3 Oct 2005 Massa Carrara, ItalyTorino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games 10 - 19 Mar 2006 Torino, Italy2006 IPC Athletics WC Jul/Aug 2006 Assen, Netherlands2006 IPC Table Tennis WC 30 Sept - 9 Oct 2006 Montreux, Switzerland2006 IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport WC 13 - 14 Oct 2006 Arnhem, Netherlands2006 IPC Swimming WC 27 Nov - 9 Dec 2006 Durban, South Africa

A group of veteran Olympic sailorsfrom around the world have announcedthe establishment of the first ever pro-gramme to pair Olympic medallists withathletes with a disability, in preparationfor the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

Magnus Liljedahl (USA), winner of theStar Class Sailing 2000 Olympic GoldMedal, is spearheading the newlynamed TeamPARADISE in Florida,USA, under the auspices of Shake-A-Leg Miami (SALM), one of the world’slargest, fully accessible water sportscentres.

TeamPARADISE participants will spendmuch of their time sailing and learningskills through on-the-water drills, prac-tice starts and short races that pitthem against the very best sailors onthe globe. The programme aims to pro-vide expert coaching in all areas includ-ing tactics, rules, equipment and fit-ness. Coaches then focus on develop-ing teams, combining the skills of eachindividual into a cohesive unit.

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TeamPARADISE Sets Sail

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An elite group of international sailorswill participate in the programme,including the US Sailing Association'sRolex Sailor of the Year for 2000 and2004 Olympic gold medallist KevinBurnham, 2000 Olympic bronze medal-list and top ranked sailor Freddy Loofof Sweden, 2003 Rolex Yachtsman ofthe year Augie Diaz, 1992 Olympic sil-ver medallist Morgan Reeser and 1932gold medallist George Crawford.

As part of its support for the project,SALM has agreed to expand its raceschedule by adding two major regattasper year to the current Miami OlympicClass Regatta and the SALM Mid-Winter Regatta, to include more inter-national sailors with a disability andmore boat classes.

British Paralympic team member HannahStodel tests the tension in the lines of herboat at the start of the 2005 Rolex Miami Olympic Class Regatta.

MISCELLANEOUS

will be presented on 24 April inAmsterdam, the Netherlands. Thephoto will tour the world as part of aninternational exhibition to 85 locations.

You can find a special pullout poster ofthe photograph on pages 8 to 9 of thisissue of The Paralympian.

And the Award Goes to...Paralympian Stars in Photo of the Year

Photo: Bob Martin, Sports Illustrated

SPORTS NEWS

IPC SPORTS CALENDAR

WORLD PR

©Photo: Bob Mart in - Sports I l l ust rated

RESS PHOTO CONTEST 2004 - F IRST PRIZE SPORTS ACTIONATHENS 2004 PARALYMPIC GAMES

XAVI TORRES (ESP) MEN’S 200m HEAT FREESTYLE

The Paralympian recently spoke toPolish Wheelchair Dancers DorotaJanoswka and Piotr Iwanicki followingthe Wheelchair Dance Sport WorldChamps held in November 2004 inTokyo, where they won first place inthe Class II Latin AmericanCompetition. They are trained byWlodzimierz and Iwona Ciok and MariaZajdler.

The Paralympian: How did you startcompeting in Wheelchair Dance Sport?

Piotr Iwanicki: It was just good luck. Iwas repairing my wheelchair when awoman there told me about WheelchairDance Sport. I decided to try and Ireally enjoyed my first practice.

Dorota Janowska: I have been dancingfor 12 years now, since I was 8. I wasintroduced to Peter at my danceschool by Iwona Ciok and we begandancing together in 2002.

TP: What competitions have you com-peted in so far? What competitions areyou looking forward to?

DJ: Over the past three years we havecompeted all over Europe, in the lasttwo World Cups (2002 and 2004) andthe World Champs (2002 and 2004).

PI: In 2005, we are looking forward tothe Boxmeer World Cup in March and

then Warsaw in April for thePolish Open Champs and then onto the European Champs in

our choreographed routines.

PI: We practice not only the Standard orLatin American styles but also enjoynew and different dance styles like bal-let or modern dance.

TP: How do you feel when you take thefloor in a competition?

PI: I forget about everything when Ienter the dance floor - I see only mypartner and the audience.

DJ: When I take the floor I feel like afish in water, I love it! I am always nerv-ous before competition, but when I takethe floor I forget about everything, thinkonly about the music.

TP: What kind of difficulties have youfaced in your sport?

PI: At first I didn't know how to use mywheelchair and I was pretty shy.

DJ: As an able-bodied dancer I wasscared of the wheelchair at first. Butwe have done a lot of training and now Ifeel 100% sure on the dancefloor.

TP: What advice would you give toother persons with a disability consider-ing taking up Wheelchair Dance Sport?

DJ: Don't be scared of dancing! If youwant to try dancing, then do it becauseeverybody can dance!

PI: You just have to take that first step!PAGE

10THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

Wheelchair Dance Sport Takes to the Floor

From 20 to 21 November 2004, around140 athletes from 15 nations took tothe floor of the National OlympicsMemorial Youth Centre in Tokyo, Japan,for the IPC Wheelchair Dance SportWorld Championships.

The venue proved to be perfect forthe event, with a dance surface of300m² for the athletes to perform. Theevent boasted a full audience for allcompetition days and was honoured bya visit from the Japanese Emperor andEmpress on the final day of competi-tion.

After the finals, Chairperson GretheAnderson and Vice Chairperson andorganiser, Nobuko Yotsumoto, thePresident of the Japanese NPC andPresident of the Japanese DanceFederation, attended a reception withthe Emperor and Empress.

The World Championship programmeincluded both Standard dances (waltz,tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot andquickstep) and Latin American dances(samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, pasodoble and jive). Events were held in"combi"-style dancing, with an able-bod-ied (standing) partner.

The event was organized by theJapanese Wheelchair Dance SportFederation (JWDSF), in co-operationwith the International Paralympic

Bratislava in November!

TP: What kind of training is involved inWheelchair Dance Sport?

DJ: We have lessons with our coach forthe technical skills or we focus only on

“Like a Fish in Water”

Piotr Iwanicki and Dorota Janowaska:“like a fish in water”.

Wheelchair Dance Sport Committee(IPWDSC). A doping control pro-gramme was implemented during theevent as part of the IPC’s continuingefforts against doping in sport.

Wheelchair Dance Sport is an IPCChampionship sport, but is today notpart of the Paralympic programme. Itis governed by IPWDSC. It follows themodified rules of the InternationalDance Sport Federation (IDSF) and ispracticed by athletes in over 19 coun-tries.

Photo: Jaroslaw Michalek

Class I (Standard): Illona Slugovina andOleksiy Ragulin, Ukraine.Class I (Latin): Alena Serkulskaya andDzmitry Shaplyka, Belarus.Class II (Standard): Monica Chojnackaand Lukasz Prochacki, Poland.Class II (Latin): Dorota Janowska andPiotr Iwanicki, Poland.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: WHEELCHAIR DANCE SPORT

ATHLETE PROFILE

Photo: Aki Suzuki

Photo: Aki Suzuki

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allow athletes to audibly trackthe location of the ball.Therefore spectators in thestands must remain silent dur-ing a match so that players canconcentrate and react instantlyto the sound.

The game of Goalball is a phys-ical sport and requires addition-al padding for the safety of theplayers. Elbow, hip and chestprotectors are used along withhand and leg guards. Thedesign of the equipment isunique to the country partici-pating in the sport of Goalball.The most important piece ofequipment required in Goalball toensure that all players, regardless ofthe level of visual impairment are on anequal footing, is blackout goggles.

TP: What type of classification systemis used for Goalball?

JL: Because of the use of blackoutgoggles the classification system isbased on the requirement that a playerbe blind as defined by the IBSA regula-tions.

TP: Who are the leading nations in thesport?

JL: In the men's divi-sion Denmark,Sweden and USA arethe top nations and inthe women's division,Canada, USA andJapan. But the com-petition is fierce.

TP: What develop-ments have beenmade in the sportrecently?

JL: The expansion ofthe IBSA official’sprogramme has beenand will continue tobe a key to the con-

On the occasion of the ClosingCeremony of the European Year ofEducation through Sport 2004 (EYES),held on 2 December 2004, in Papendal,the Netherlands, the IPC Treasurer,John Teunissen, had the opportunity topresent IPC's work in the field of edu-cation and development and to talk tothe European Commissioner, Ján Figel,about future areas of co-operationbetween the IPC and the EuropeanCommission.

Throughout 2004, the IPC and theEuropean Commission have workedclosely together on several occasions.This partnership enabled the EuropeanCommission to utilize the social andeducational values of Paralympic sportto meet the objectives of the EYESproject - to increase knowledge, skills

Goalball is one of the uniqueParalympic sports that does not have acounterpart on the Olympic pro-gramme. The Paralympian spoke toGoalball Chairperson Jim Leask to findout what makes this sport so special.

The Paralympian: What is the historybehind the sport?

Jim Leask: Goalball was introduced in1946 by Austrian Hanz Lorenzen andGerman Sepp Reindle, in an effort tohelp in the rehabilitation of blinded warveterans. The game was introduced tothe world in 1976 at the Paralympics inToronto, Canada, when people with avisual impairment were included as adisability group. In addition, every fouryears a World Championship event hasbeen held with the first being in Austriain 1978. Since its inception the popular-ity of Goalball has increased on a globalscale. We now have programmes inover 85 countries and it is played com-petitively in 58 nations in all of theInternational Blind Sport Federation(IBSA) regions.

TP: Which kind of equipment and assis-tance are needed by Paralympic ath-letes to participate in Goalball?

JL: The main piece of equipment is anadapted ball which contains a bell to

tinued growth of the sport. With IPCand IBSA support, clinics have beenrecently conducted in Lithuania,Turkey and Brazil. Further clinics areplanned in 2005 for South America,the Middle East and Asia. A coachingdevelopment programme will also belaunched in 2005.

TP: Can you summarise the successof the Goalball competition at theATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games?

JL: Any one of the top ten men'steams could have won a medal and inthe women's competition any of theseven women's teams were medalworthy. Because of both the quality ofplay and the commitment of theGames organizers, the ATHENS 2004Paralympics were an outstanding com-petition.

TP: In which areas do you see a needfor further development?

JL: In order to continue the growth ofthe sport of Goalball we will expandour officials programme and launch ournew coaches programme this year. Ouroverall development strategy is toexpand the number of women andtotally blind athletes playing the gameand also to provide coaching and ref-eree opportunities in all IBSA regions.

EYES 2004 Comes to an Endand social capabilities such as team-work, solidarity and fair play.

The IPC-EYES partnership was high-lighted at a special EYES day duringthe ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games.Both parties agreed that combining thecommunicative powers of the EuropeanCommission and the ParalympicMovement could help to boost the pro-motion of Paralympic sporting values.

At the Closing Ceremony, Mr. Teunissenand Mr. Figel discussed the successfulEYES partnership and explored oppor-tunities for future co-operation. Theyagreed to meet again to advance dif-ferent activities for the development ofParalympic sport in- and outside theEuropean Community.

Dutch Football Player and EYESspokesperson Clarence Seedorf withEuropean Commissioner Ján Figel.

Photo: Lieven Coudneys

Photo: Lieven Coudneys

SPORTS PROFILE: GOALBALL

REGIONAL NEWS

Photo: Media Consulta

At the IPCExtraordinaryGeneral Assemblyheld in Cairo,Egypt, inNovember lastyear, six newNPCs joined theParalympicMovement. TheParalympian hadan opportunity tospeak to Julio

Sarmento Lopes, Secretary General ofthe Timor Leste Paralympic Committee(TLPC), to find out what is in store forone of the newest NPCs.

The Paralympian: When and how wasthe NPC in Timor Leste established?

Julio Sarmento Lopes: The NPC ofTimor Leste was established on 28February 2004 following discussionsbetween representatives from the 13regions in Timor Leste, local NGOs andthe national Athletics, Powerlifting andTable Tennis federations.

TP: How many people work at yourNPC?

JSL: At the moment we have a staffof18 volunteers who run the adminis-tration and sport activities. We do nothave a permanent headquarters so weare using the residence of the Presi-dent of our Committee to run ouractivities.

TP: How many members (athletes) doyou have in your NPC?

JSL: We currently have 30 athleteswho participate at an internationallevel, however one of our main objec-tives is to develop an athlete identifica-

tion programme over the next fewyears to increase that number.PAGE

12THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

TP: What are your main objectives asan organization?

JSL: We have tried to establish theParalympic Committee as an umbrellaorganization to protect and improvethe status and ensure the equal rightsof people with a disability in all sportsactivities.

TP: Who are your main target groupsand how do you reach them?

JSL: We target all of the fiveParalympic disability groups - spinalinjury, visual impairment, cerebral palsy,amputee and les Autres. We havefound that by targeting urban areas,particularly the capital city of Dili, wehave good access to a large numberof people with a disability.

TP: What major goals do you have forthe next 5 years?

JSL: In the short-term we are prepar-ing for the upcoming regional, nationaland international competitions sanc-tioned by the IPC. One of the nextevents we are looking towards is theAsian Para Games in Manila,Philippines, in December 2005.

We also have plans to hold a series ofcompetitions to identify new talentthat we can help develop for futurecompetitions.

TP: What are the challenges facingyour organization right now?

JSL: We face many significant chal-lenges in Timor Leste, firstly the lackof funding which we need to help sup-port our athletes and to implement anational development programme. Wedo have some support from our gov-ernment and from corporate contribu-tions, however as we are still such ayoung organization we have yet to

Disabled Children's and Youth SportFederation, Latvia and the SwedishDevelopment Centre for DisabilitySport, Sweden.

These partners are co-operating on anational level with an elementary school,an institute of higher physical educationand a sport federation for persons witha disability to implement the ParalympicSchool Day in their respective nations.

A final script including all educationalmaterial used and a vocational trainingmanual will enable participatingEuropean countries to implement theprogramme in their schools in thefuture.

This multicultural project aims tochange the attitudes of youth towardspersons with a disability and provide anadvocacy tool for elementary schoolteachers to use.

Paralympic School DayProject

University of Leuven, Belgium, theUniversity of Olomouc, CzechRepublic, the University of Koblenz,Germany, the Aristotle University ofThessaloniki, Greece, the Latvian

From 3 to 4 December 2004 the IPChosted the first conference within theframework of the Paralympic SchoolDay Project (PSD) at its Headquartersin Bonn, Germany.

In 2004, the European ParalympicCommittee (EPC) initiated this two-year project as co-ordinating organiza-tion. The PSD aims to raise awarenessand understanding in elementaryschools about sport for persons with adisability. The project was made possi-ble by a grant from the EuropeanUnion (EU).

The partner organizations involved inthe PSD Project are the EuropeanParalympic Committee, the Catholic

School children at the Sydney 2000Paralympic Games.

Timor Leste Joins Paralympic Family

Photo: Lieven Coudneys

make much impact. Another problemwe face is that there are no accessi-ble training facilities or venues in ourcountry, which makes it difficult whenorganizing competitions.

TP: As a newly formed NPC, whatadvice would you give to other coun-tries interested in developingParalympic sport?

JSL: Our country is still rebuilding fol-lowing the conflict we endured up to2002, however, this is one way inwhich we can help those people witha disability in our country to rebuildtheir lives and to fully participate insporting activities. Paralympic sportoffers hope and opportunity to thepeople of Timor Leste and I would liketo encourage any other country con-sidering joining the ParalympicMovement.

REGIONAL NEWS

NPC PROFILE: TIMOR LESTE

Before andfollowing theATHENS2004ParalympicGames, theChiefClassifiershighlighted aneed to devel-op standardprotocols andprinciples forclassificationensuring theconsistentapplication of

classification systems in all sports andat all levels.

In order to progress the developmentof the IPC Classification Code, the IPChas invited a number of experts in clas-sification to be a part of the WorkingGroup. The following have acceptedthe IPC's invitation and will assist in thedevelopment and content of the Code:

Anne Hart, Chairperson (IPCClassification Committee Member &IWRF Chief Classifier), Trish Jensen(IPC Classification CommitteeChairperson), Don Perriman (IWBFChief Classifier), Jane Buckley (IPCSwimming Classifier) and Terrie Moore(CP-ISRA Sports Technical CommitteeChairperson).

The first draft of the Code is sched-uled to be completed by April 2005and distributed for feedback beforethe final version is completed by theTorino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games.The final version will be presented tothe IPC Governing Board and the IPCGeneral Assembly.

The development of the Code will takesome time and effort to complete andthe IPC hopes that all Chief Classifiers,NPCs, athletes, coaches and theParalympic Family will contribute to theprocess, through constructive feed-back on the draft versions, ensuringthat the final product reflects the bestpractices within sport.

In celebration of the 2005 IYSPE theIPC, in association with the Internatio-nal Council of Sports Science andPhysical Education (ICSSPE) and theSpecial Adviser to the UN SecretaryGeneral on Sport for Development andPeace, is encouraging and promotingresearch on a number of topics con-cerned with sport for persons with adisability and the ParalympicMovement.

As such, the IPC is calling for articlesubmissions from academic and scien-tific institutions that conduct researchon these topics. All work submitted willbe reviewed, with several articlesselected for publication in a specialedition of the ICSSPE 'Perspectives'series - The Multidisciplinary Series ofPhysical Education and Sport Science(for more information about Perspec-tives, please visit www.icsspe.org). Thisedition will be focused on the contribu-tion of sport for persons with a disabili-ty to highlight the work done in thisfield.

This project is fully endorsed by theSpecial Adviser to the UN SecretaryGeneral on Sport for Development andPeace, Adolf Ogi. To highlight the col-laborative work done in this field, thepublication will include a foreword by

Mr. Ogi, ICSSPE President Prof. Dr.Gudrun Doll-Tepper and an introductionby IPC President Phil Craven.

This initiative aims to include work cov-ering all areas of the social and med-ical sciences and to provide a globaloverview of the issues facing differentdisability groups, levels (from participa-tion to elite competition), issues of stig-ma and discrimination (gender, race,etc) and Paralympic sports in allregions of the world.

Articles submitted for considerationshould be in the following format:abstract, introduction, methodology,results, discussion and an additionalchapter entitled 'practical implications'.The total length of the article shouldbe no longer than 6,000 words. Thedue date for submission of articles is15 April 2005.

Articles should be sent to:International Paralympic Committee Attn. Mr. Andy ParkinsonMedical & Scientific Director Adenauerallee 212-21453113 Bonn, Germany.

New IPC Classification Code

IPC, UN and ICSSPE Join Forces toCommemorate the International Year of Sport andPhysical Education (IYSPE) 2005

The IPC is currently involved as partof the Anti-Doping AdministrativeManagement System (ADAMS)Implementation Group to assist theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) inthe first stage in implementation of acentral database. ADAMS will be man-aged by WADA to assist with world-wide testing co-ordination including:Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE),athlete whereabouts information,results and laboratory reporting.

During this first phase, the IPC hasbeen providing feedback on theADAMS technical specifications.Training is expected to be carried outin April 2005 with full implementationto start in phases from mid-2005.

ADAMS offers a secure, centralized,online service assisting WADA and itsstakeholders in their day-to-day opera-tions in order to fulfil their obligationsunder the World Anti-Doping Code.There will be three general compo-nents to the system:

Whereabouts SystemADAMS will facilitate the collection ofathlete whereabouts information byreceiving updated information on ath-letes in national and/or internationaltesting pools. The system will monitorthe failure of athletes to provide com-plete whereabouts information.

ClearinghouseADAMS will receive Doping Controldata on in-competition and out-of-com-petition tests, laboratory results andinformation on adverse analytical find-ings and anti-doping rule violations.This information will be made availableto relevant athletes and/or stakehold-ers and statistical information will bedisclosed publicly.

Doping Control SystemADAMS will manage a doping controlprogramme including the planning oftest distribution, athlete selection, dataentry and results management.

What is ADAMS?

A Paralympic skiier adds his support dur-ing the WADA Athlete OutreachProgramme held in Austria in 2004.

MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC

Anne Hart

PAGE

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On 30 November 2004,IPC President PhilCraven and Dr. DonaldaAmmons, InterimPresident and SecretaryGeneral of theInternational Committeeof Sports for the Deaf(DEAFLYMPICS), signed

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)in Washington, D.C., USA.

The MoU allows athletes with multi-dis-abilities to compete in sanctioned com-petitions, provided they meet the rele-vant eligibility criteria and are enteredthrough the respective national memberof IPC or DEAFLYMPICS.

"Deaf athletes with an additional disabili-ty represented at IPC sanctioned com-petitions, will now be able to participatein various IPC events. Equally,Paralympic athletes with a multi-disabili-

IPC Takes Steps to Ensure Sustainable DevelopmentFrom 26 to 27 November 2004, theIPC Development Conference titled'Ensuring Sustainable Development'was held, following the IPCExtraordinary General Assembly inCairo, Egypt. With 150 participantsincluding National ParalympicCommittees (NPCs), Sports, Regions,International Organizations of Sports forthe Disabled (IOSDs), IPC GoverningBoard members and IPC partner organi-zations, there was broad representationof the Paralympic Movement.

Through a series of presentations anddiscussions, the conference aimed tobring the Movement together to betterunderstand member needs, increasecommunication and create a unifieddirection for development.

Paralympian Cheri Blauwet, chaired andpresented at the 2004 IPC DevelopmentConference.

"Thanks to the participants of the IPC Development Conference we now have quality feedback and suggestions on how to contin-ue to move the Paralympic Movement forward and ensure its sustainability" said IPC Secretary General Miguel Sagarra.

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14THE PARALYMPIAN ISSUE 1: 2005

IPC Partnerships

representatives of their sport and asrepresentatives of the ParalympicMovement. Among other things, they willcontribute to the Red Ball ReportNewsletter, participate in Right To Play'sinternet community and in speakingengagements and other Right To Playevents, co-promoting the ParalympicGames and Movement.

The IPC and Right To Play will also pilota new project in 2005 to strengthenRight To Play's existing curriculum thatfocuses on and facilitates the inclusionof children with a disability into every-day sport and play activities and oppor-tunities.

"Right To Play is excited about the newopportunities that our partnership withthe IPC will create. Inclusion of all chil-dren in sport and play is one of our guid-ing principles. Our new association withthe IPC will help us deepen our knowl-

Phil Craven and Dr. Ammons.at the signing ofthe MoU.

edge and resources to keep thispromise everyday. In addition, bydemonstrating that anything is possi-ble, Paralympic athletes are importantrole models for the children that wereach." said Johann Koss, Presidentand CEO of Right To Play.

DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

ty, including a minimum hearing loss,will be able to compete in theDeaflympic Games and the Deaf WorldChampionships. This is in line with theIPC vision: enabling athletes to inspireand excite the world," commented Mr.Craven.

Both organizations will henceforth co-operate in informing the relevantsports authorities of the internationalstructures of both organizations andaddress the conflicts that may arise ata national level between the affiliatedorganizations..

"This agreement illustrates our commit-ment to working together in-sync. It willensure that these athletes have aglobal stage to display their sportingspirit and dedication” said Dr. Ammons.

Photo: Right to Play

The IPC and Right ToPlay have signed a part-nership in order to pro-mote sport as a meansfor development, healthand peace with particu-lar focus on inclusion ofpersons with a disability.

IPC President Phil Craven commented:"The IPC is pleased that Paralympianswill be assisting Right To Play in theirfuture work, where appropriate. Webelieve that this will strengthen thework of both organizations and lead tonew and exciting occasions to promotesport for persons with a disability allover the world."

The agreement includes the involve-ment of Paralympic athletes in RightTo Play activities. These athletes willtake part in the organization's athleteprogramme as individual athletes, as

During the Development Conferencefive core areas for development wereagreed: athlete development, leader-ship development, organizational devel-opment, knowledge development andglobal Paralympic development. Thesefive dimensions represent elementsthat can ensure sustainable develop-ment of the Movement.

Participants helped to define thesecore areas, assess the current statusand develop practical ideas for futureprojects such as an internationalawareness campaign, a LeadershipDevelopment Project, a ParalympicAdministration Toolkit and an NPCMentoring Programme. These ideas willassist the IPC and its member organi-zations to go forward in the area ofdevelopment.

Photo: DEAFLYMPICS

Stephen B. Corbin, from SpecialOlympics, Dr. Karen DePauw from theInternational Council of Sport SciencePhysical Education (ICSSPE) andJennifer Howitt, Paralympian.

The IPC also participated in the fourthInternational Conference of Ministersand Senior Officials Responsible forPhysical Education and Sport (MINEPSIV), which took place in Athens, Greece,from 6 to 8 December 2004.

One of the main objectives of theMINEPS conference was to formulate aDraft International Convention AgainstDoping in Sport.The recommendationsof the conference explicitly recog-nized that the IPC has madeprogress in the fight against doping.

In celebration of the UN 2004International Day of Disabled Personson 3 December 2004, the World Bankhosted a Disability and DevelopmentInternational Conference from 30November to 1 December 2004, aim-ing to further reduce global poverty forpersons with a disability.

IPC President Phil Craven acted asCo-Chair of a discussion on 'Inclusionthrough Sports and PhysicalEducation'. Mr. Craven spoke specifi-cally about his vision for how the IPCcan work in partnership to strengthensports opportunities for children andadults with a disability in the develop-ing world.

Other panelists included Co-Chair PAGE

15

The first IPC Regional Women inParalympic Sport (WIPS) Summitfor the former Middle East (ME)Region was organized and hostedby the Iranian NPC in Tehran, from1 to 3 December, 2004. The eventwas attended by twelve represen-tatives from the countries ofBahrain, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatarand the USA.

The Summit's agenda, content andspeakers provided a strongerunderstanding of the unique chal-lenges facing girls and women inthe Middle East and enabled theparticipants to produce an actionplan for the Region.

An IPC ME Women in ParalympicSport Committee was formed andSima Limoochi was selected as the

liaison to the IPC.

The next ME WIPS Committee meetingis scheduled to be held during the - 4thMuslim Women's Games in September2005. Athletics, Swimming and TableTennis were identified as targets forearly development efforts. This pro-gramme will provide training for femalecoaches, officials and classifiers.

"The first IPC Women in ParalympicSport Regional Summit was a resound-ing success. I was inspired and ener-gized by the commitment of all partici-pants to carry out specific actions thatwill increase opportunities in Paralympicsport for girls and women with disabili-ties in the IPC Middle East Region,"stated Ann Cody, Chairperson of theIPC Women in Sport Committee.

"Sitting alone in a corner of the roomwas a young girl with a sad look in hereyes. I approached her and she told mewhy she was so sad. She used to likeplaying and laughing until she was tenyears old, when she lost a leg in a land-mine explosion. When I asked her whyshe didn't join in, she just said "I alwaysstay sitting". First she showed disbeliefwhen I played the video images ofother children with a disability practisingsport, then she tried for herself, at firsttentatively, then came the victory, theprize, the most important reward - hersmile…"

The IOC has recently initiated the'Rehabilitation Through Sports: PilotProject in Angola Assisting Amputeesand Other Persons with a Disability'.The project is being carried out in col-laboration with the IPC, the AngolanNPC, the Angolan government, theNational Olympic Committee and the

MINSA Rehabilitation Center inHuambo, Angola.

Seven physiotherapists receive spe-cialized training during three sessionsheld from 1 to 5 November 2004, 24January to 4 February 2005 and athird to take place from 1 to 12August 2005.

The project focuses on training profes-sionals (physiotherapists) using sportas a means of rehabilitation, with theoverall aim to improve the opportuni-ties for Angolans with a disability.

Angola was chosen as the site for thisproject as it is among the top threemost affected countries for landminesin the world. From 1975 to 2002Angola endured a civil war that causedsignificant numbers of new amputees.

Rehab Project: A Smile Through Sport"Many who took part in the course weregiven renewed hope for a better qualityof life, as sport could open the door toother parts of the world," said JorgeVilela de Carvalho.

Women’s Initiative: Middle East Women Pave the Way

Conference Participation: World Bank and MINEPS

The participants in the IPC Middle EastRegional Women in Paralympic SportSummit.

Aerial view of the conference Poster BoardExposition with Phil Craven and BarbaraTrader of UNICEF in the foreground.

DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL

Photo: Mehdi Zare Ardestani

Photo: The World Bank

Photo: Neves Bendinha

President, MiguelCaraballedaPineiro's continuedsupport of sportfor persons with adisability.

On 18 September2004, Dr. LudwigGuttmann, thefounder of theParalympicMovement wasawarded posthu-mously, theMovement's high-est honour, theParalympic Orderfor his outstand-ing contribution tosport for personswith a disability.The award was

presented by IPC President PhilCraven, in the presence of IOC Presi-dent Jacques Rogge and the Wheelchairand Amputee Sports Association (IWAS)President Paul dePace, to Dr.Guttmann's daughter Eva Loeffler, whoaccepted it on his behalf.

Dr. Guttmann pioneered sport for per-sons with a disability in the 1940's, pro-claiming the benefits of sport for reha-bilitation from his work at the SpinalCord Injuries Centre at the StokeMandeville Hospital in Great Britain.After initiating the Stoke MandevilleGames in 1948, he initiated the

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In a new and excitinginitiative, the IPC isworking with theInternationalAssociation forSports and LeisureFacilities (IAKS) tohonour the mostaccessible sportingfacility with the IPC

Distinction for Accessibility. Theaward is part of the IOC/IAKSAward 2005 for ExemplarySports and Leisure Facilities, aninternational architecture compe-tition for sports and leisure facili-ties.

The IPC Distinction for Access-

On 7 December 2004, the GermanNPC received the UNESCO Award forDistinguished Services to PhysicalEducation and Sport. UNESCO com-mended the German NPC for settingan example both from a social-politicaland from a sport-political perspective.

The award was handed out to NPCPresident Theodor Zühlsdorf at the 4thConference of Ministers and SeniorOfficials responsible for PhysicalEducation and Sport (MINEPS IV) inAthens, Greece. The triumphant finish by German Paralympian

Wojtek Czyz during the ATHENS 2004Paralympic Games.

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Paralympic Founder and ONCE Receive Highest Paralympic Honour

Paralympic Movement with the firstParalympic Games held in Rome in1960. Mr. Craven said: "Awarding theParalympic Order to Sir LudwigGuttmann was long overdue. The IPChas been waiting for the right momentand today, here at the ParalympicGames - the pinnacle of Paralympicsport - we found it. We would not bewhere we are at the moment, if it wasnot for Sir Guttmann."

On 17 November 2004, the ONCE(Organización Nacional de CiegosEspañoles) was also awarded theParalympic Order in a ceremony inMadrid, Spain, for their involvement inthe Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Gamesand support of the ParalympicMovement in Spain and internationally,with their contributions to theInternational Blind Sports Federation(IBSA).

Mr. Phil Craven stated: "The Barcelona1992 Paralympic Games were a turn-ing point in the Paralympic Games evo-lution - ONCE's contribution was funda-mental to the success of thoseGames." During the award ceremony,Mr. Craven also praised the passionand dedication of ONCE and its

Search for the Most Accessible Facilityibility aims to recognize those facilitiesthat have excelled in providing accessto persons with a disability, allowingthem to practice and view sport freelyand without barriers.

All entries for the competition will beadjudicated by a panel of experts fromIAKS, the IOC and the IPC. The awardwill be presented at the official open-ing of the 19th IAKS Congress on 26October 2005 in Cologne, Germany.

Submissions are due by 30 April 2005.For more information about the awardrequirements and for the official sub-mission documents, please visitwww.iaks.info.

Said Dieter Keuther, Secretary Generalof the German NPC “With this awardthe work of the German NPC over thelast 50 years was honoured. Thisaward has given us motivation to con-tinue and strengthen our work.”

The German NPC was established in1951 in Bonn, Germany. Today it isbased in Duisburg. It is currentlyresponsible for over 342,000 individualmembers, 17 regional associations and3,640 clubs, making it one of thelargest NPCs in the ParalympicMovement.

UNESCO Awards German NPC for DistinguishedServices to Physical Education and Sport

MISCELLANEOUS

Getty Images; Photo:Tom Shaw

Imprint

Editor: Miriam Wilkens

Assistant Editor - Graphic Design:Clare Wolfensohn

Printing: The Happy Printer

All rights reserved.International Paralympic Committee, 2005ISSN 1609-1329

For subscriptions please contact:International Paralympic CommitteeAdenauerallee 212-214D-53113 Bonn, GermanyPhone: +49-228-2097-200Fax: +49-228-2097-209E-mail: info@paralympic.orgWeb: www.paralympic.org

The views expressed in the Paralympian arenot necessarily those of the IPC. In case ofrepublication of any part of the Paralympian,please send a copy to the IPC.

The publisher reserves the right to edit submitted articles.

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Photo: IWAS Photo: ONCE