IPC announces World Para Sports Unit Board members

The newly appointed World Para Sports Unit Board held its first meeting on Friday (21 April) following the introduction of the five board members.  

The Board has been established by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board with the authority to govern the six Para sports the IPC serves as the International Federation for (Para athletics, Para dance sport, Para ice hockey, Para powerlifting, Para swimming and shooting Para sport). 

These sports are currently in a managed process of separation from the IPC and the World Para Sports Unit Board will be responsible for monitoring each of the sport’s progress towards their separation.  

The World Para Sports Unit Board will consist of five members. The group must include two members of the IPC Governing Board, one independent member with significant governance experience in sport, one member with prior governance experience in an International Federation (other than one to which any of the  World Para Sports  may transfer) and one Para athlete who is a member of an Athletes’ Committee of one of the six World Para Sports. 

The five appointed members of the World Para Sports Unit Board are: 

• Thomas Lund, Secretary General of the Badminton World Federation appointed Chair of the World Para Sports Unit Board;
   
• Jennifer Brown, Paralympian Para athletics athlete appointed the IPC Governing Board on the recommendation of the Nominations Panel;  
   
• Lisa Pearce, Director of Leicester City Football Club Women and former CEO of British Wheelchair Basketball; 
   
• Chelsey Gotell, IPC Governing Board member and former Paralympic swimming champion; and
   
• Luca Pancalli, IPC Governing Board member and President of the National Paralympic Committee of Italy. 
  
  On the appointment of the World Para Sports Unit Board, World Para Sports Managing Director Christian Holtz said: 

“The World Para Sport Unit is an internal unit of the IPC, created for the purpose of providing a mechanism to drive, help and support the World Para Sports to separate from the IPC. The World Para Sports Unit has its own board and staff, its own regulations, and its own resources to govern the six remaining sports. The ultimate goal is that the Para sports are able to thrive after separating from the IPC. The announcement of the board marks one more important step in the process to make these Para sports operate independently from the IPC structure as they progress towards a new and exciting phase.” 

The World Para Sports Unit Board members will serve a term of four years, with a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Board will meet in person once per year and remotely as required.