PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS

On schedule, and ahead of schedule, the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train arrived at the Sinclair Park Community Centre in Winnipeg today in promotion of the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

On 4 October, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) awarded Anne Ebbs with the Paralympic Order for the contribution she has made to the Paralympic Movement. She was presented with the award by IPC President Sir Philip Craven during a private ceremony in Dublin, Ireland.

The return of three Spanish athletes to their home in Sitges, Spain, saw the welcomed reception of more than 200 eager children, ages 8 to 12. Abderrahman Ait, Sarai Gascon and Roger Puigbo arrived in the spirit of teaching, explaining the various experiences they each had at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

The Evaluation Commission which will visit the four Candidate Cities bidding to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The team will be headed by Nawal El Moutawakel, who also chaired the 2012 bidding process. The full team will include representatives from the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, with additional advisors.

Beijing, China - After 12 days of competition, the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games on 17 September 2008 officially ended a period of record-breaking competition and events.

Beijing, China - From 4 to 15 September, all accredited athletes participating in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games had the chance to take part in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council Election.

The Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award Committee would like to present the two recipients of the award that recognizes elite athletes that have exemplified an exceptional level of determination to overcome their adversities through sports and the Paralympic Games. The Whang Youn Dai Achievment Award will be awarded at the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympic Games by Dr. Whang and Miguel Sagarra, IPC Vice-President.

Although the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are not yet finished, the number of new records set is adding up. Each day, with each event, it is a matter of fact now that the athletes have come to the Chinese capital to perform at the highest possible level.

Beijing, China - With a total of 29 rightsholders covering more than 75 countries worldwide, from all regions (Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania), the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games has the largest number of rightsholding broadcasters in the history of the Parlaympic Games. Currently, the broadcaster with the winning number of hours is China’s CCTV and BTV, with more than 22 hours of Paralympic Games daily on different channels. This includes live programmes, as well as news.

Johnson & Johnson, a sponsor of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, in partnership with the Wheelchair Foundation, recently announced the donation of 1,000 sport wheelchairs to the China Foundation for Disabled Persons (CFDP). These specialized wheelchairs will be distributed to 20 community organizations and centers across China that work with people with a disability. The sport wheelchairs will help give more athletes and citizens with a disability the opportunity to achieve a healthy lifestyle through sport.

Beijing, China - The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) today announced that the men's team from I.R. Iran has withdrawn from the tournament due to dissatisfaction with the draw proposed for the cross-over round and subsequent schedule.

One male and one female who best exemplify the spirit of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games will receive the ‘Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award’. The Prize is for Paralympians that not only achieve sporting excellence, but also exceptionally inspire and excite the world. The winners of the Prize will each receive a medal made out of 75 grams pure gold at the Closing Ceremony on 17 September.

When walking around the Olympic Green or making your way through the halls of the Water Cube, one can easily see that these are modern times that we are living in. And with that progress in architectural design, comes the progress of societal norms. One major evolution with regard to the Games is the role that women have in Paralympic Sport.

Beijing, China – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) yesterday were informed about an adverse analytical finding (positive laboratory test) of German Wheelchair Basketball player Ahmet Coskun, who failed an out-of-competition test performed by the German National Doping Agency (NADA) on 23 August 2008 during a training camp in Germany. He was tested positive for the prohibited substance of Finasterid, a non-performance enhancement medication.