PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS
![The Spanish National Paralympic Committee was awarded the Red Cross Gold Medal, the institution’s highest distinction, by Queen Letizia of Spain.](/sites/default/files/images/160513091430311_Cruz.jpg)
Queen Letizia awards NPC Spain with the Red Cross Gold Medal
The Spanish National Paralympic Committee received the distinction during a ceremony held at the Congress Palace in Albacete.
Sport week: Football 5 star Ricardinho talks music and his love of The Beatles
When he is not training for Rio 2016, Brazil´s football 5 star likes playing “the guitar, the piano and a little bit of violin.”
![A picture of a Wheelchair Fencer celebrating her victory](/sites/default/files/images/121130094658831_151462671.jpg)
Hungary’s Krajnyak out to retain European title
The wheelchair fencing veteran views the European Championships as a stepping stone toward her first Paralympic gold.
![Alistair Donohoe](/sites/default/files/images/160513091213927_Alistair%2BDonohoe.jpg)
Faces of the future: Australia’s Alistair Donohoe
The two-time C5 road world champion targets Paralympics success whilst he dreams of competing in the Tour de France.
![football 5-a-side match](/sites/default/files/images/160513085234122_turkey.jpg)
Sport week: Football 5 storylines at Rio 2016
Five potential storylines to follow heading into September’s Paralympic Games.
![Great Britain's Aled Davies poses with his gold medal at the medal ceremony for the men's shot put F42 final at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.](/sites/default/files/images/151022130514682_493680142.jpg)
Davies breaks own shot put world record at Grand Prix in USA
Great Britain's Aled Davies shows he is in great form for Rio 2016 with a distance of 16.13m.
![International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS)](/sites/default/files/images/160513071457609_ic3.jpg)
ICSEMIS registration, abstract submission deadlines extended
Both deadlines for the sports science convention that takes place in Brazil before Rio 2016 have been moved to 31 May.
![The Olympic Tennis Centre hosted the first competition in Barra Olympic Park.](/sites/default/files/images/170202104925964_rio-olympic-park.jpg)
Sport week: Football 5-a-side venue at Rio 2016
The sport will be contested in the Olympic Tennis Centre during the Paralympic Games.
![wheelchair rugby players](/sites/default/files/images/160513074728994_wr.jpg)
Great British wheelchair rugby team named for Rio
Eleven players from the 2015 European Championship team were selected to compete in September’s Paralympic Games.
![Tarvisio, Italy, will host the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships](/sites/default/files/images/150313132548679_Di%2BPrampero_credi%2BCarlo%2BSpaliviero_0.jpg)
Tarvisio, Italy, to host 2017 alpine skiing Worlds
The event was launched at a fashion show in the bay of Portopiccolo in Sistiana and is a major part of the build-up for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.