IPC decision allows intellectually disabled athletes to compete at 2012
SubscribeUK Sport 23 November 2009
UK Sport have today welcomed the decision made by the IPC General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur to allow athletes with an Intellectual Disability to compete at the Paralympic Games from 2012.
The decision provides certain sports with the opportunity to select British competitors with the capability of winning medals on home soil in 2012 and at future Paralympic Games, potentially assisting ParalympicsGB in their aim of achieving the UK Sport target of 2nd in the Paralympic medal table, winning more medals across more sports.
Speaking after the announcement on Saturday, regarding the funding of potential Paralympic athletes with Learning Difficulties, Liz Nicholl, Chief Operating Officer at UK Sport, said: "We will continue to make funding decisions based on a sports capability of winning medals at future Olympic & Paralympic Games. Should the addition of any athlete with an intellectual disability mean a real chance of podium success for themselves and their sport, then we will of course apply our principles and hope to help them in realising that dream.
"Additional funding decisions for these sports will, like all other funding decisions made by UK Sport, be judged on our no compromise principles, with the first opportunity for funding coming at the Annual Review of funding decisions in December."
ParalympicsGB also welcomed the decision taken by the IPC, which means that athletes with a learning difficulty will potentially be able to compete across four different sports in 2012, athletics, swimming, rowing and table tennis.
Tim Reddish, Chairman of ParalympicsGB, commented: "We have lobbied hard for the re-inclusion of athletes with a learning disability, subject to a robust classification system and are delighted that IPC and INAS-FID have got us to that point. We believe in the power of sport to positively affect all people’s lives and we advocate the involvement of as many people as possible across all disabilities in sport."
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