Nagano 2013 - Media Centre
News - Ice sledge hockey
Bonn, Germany - Today marks the 60th anniversary of the first Stoke Mandeville Games. Following World War II, traditional methods of rehabilitation could not meet the medical and psychological needs of large numbers of soldiers and civilians with a disability. At the request of the British government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann founded the National Spinal Injuries Centre at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain in 1944 and introduced sport as a form of recreation and as an aid for remedial treatment and rehabilitation.
Earlier this month, the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of the Netherlands joined together with the country’s National Olympic Committee to present the official Paralympic and Olympic Teams for the Beijing 2008 Games. This was the first time the presentation was organized with both Committees together and on such a large scale.
The OR@S is the centre of Samsung’s on-site Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic activities. First debuting at the Sydney 2000 Games, the OR@S Pavilion is an engaging venue offering a relaxing lounge area for athletes and their fans and family members. The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games are the first time that Samsung will operate its OR@S during the Paralympics.