Ecuador 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are on.

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The Global Games have crossed the ‘Equator’ of the event which means we are half way through the competition in the fourth edition of the Games. Guayaquil, Guaranda and Cuenca have seen in action athletes in seven of the nine sports taking place in this pinnacle event of the ID Sport calendar. Spectators have had the opportunity to enjoy the amazing performances of athletes in the athletics, swimming, cycling, basketball, futsal, tennis and table tennis competitions.

 

September 23rd marked the first day of competitions for the swimming events with athletes from 19 different countries jumping in the pool of the Diana Quintana Sport Club. A very spirited Australian team spread with excitement the crowd and fellow athletes throughout the day. The first set of finals and award ceremonies took place in the afternoon and the crowd enjoyed unbelievable swimming performances in nine different events. One of these events was the image_2Girls’ 100m Butterfly final, in which Jo-Lin Tu representing China Taipei took the gold medal, Mariana Diaz De la Vega from Mexico won the silver one and not far behind Amy Cook from Australia took the third place on the podium. A very happy Mariana showed her medal with pride and the 18-year old reminded everybody with her smile what these Games are all about. Congratulations to Jo-Li, Mariana, Amy, all medal winners and participants.

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Swimming competitions, as well as all the others that already started, will continue today offering the best performances from the best athletes in the ID Sport. Taekwondo will start today as well and rowing will do so tomorrow. With this all nine sports will have seen action at the Ecuador 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games.

 

More results and information about the events competitions coming ahead, so make sure to check our social media portals.

Day 1 of competitions at the Global Games was finally here

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Yesterday marked the first day of competitions at the Ecuador 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games. Cycling, Futsal, Tennis and Basketball events took place and the Games had its first medallists on the Cycling Team Time Trial event; France and its athletes M. Collin and J. Pereira took the highest spot on the podium, followed by D. Merten and J. Duinkerke representing Holland, and E. Sarango and A. Jacome snapped the last chance for medals taking the 3rd place.

Basketball compIMG_2742etition was packed with emotions delivered by the Portuguese and Venezuelan teams. This was the opening game in the men’s competition and from the get go a very enthusiastic Venezuelan squad was able to cause some troubles for Portugal in the first quarter and they went into the break winning 13 – 10. Nonetheless, Portugal was able to come back in the game and was able to take the lead 35 – 32 after the 3rd quarter. But in the last interval of the game a highly spirited Venezuelan team was able to gain a break with 3 minutes left on the clock and took the lead which they held on to win 43 – 37.

 

 

Also, other competitions that took place on Day 1 were Futsal and Tennis which will carry on today along with Basketball and the beginning of competitionsP1000257P1000310 for Athletics. Cycling will take a short break today to get back in action tomorrow, as will Swimming but with its first day of competitions at the Diana Quintana Sport Club.

 

 

 

 

 

More results and information about the events competitions coming ahead, so make sure to check our social media portals.

6th World Para-Taekwondo Championships underway

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web WTF 4th World Champs(21.06.2014)-27The sixth World Para-Taekwondo Championships are underway in Samsun, Turkey, with more than 130 athletes from 38 countries competing.

Following as partnership with World Intellectual Impairment Sport, athletes with an intellectually disability will compete in poomsae competition – an artistic form of the sport.

“Speaking to athletes, you can really feel their passion and their pride at being able to represent their countries at such a world-class event,” Chungwon Choue, WTF President, said. “Our friends here in Samsun have done an excellent job at preparing for this Championships and everything is in place for an excellent event.”

“It is during events like this that you can really see that the work we are doing is paying off,” Choue added. “We know that there is a lot of room for improvement but each year we are seeing records being broken and more athletes from new countries getting involved in the sport. We must continue to build momentum and provide the best experience for our athletes and fans so that in 2020 we are able to deliver the best possible sport for the global Paralympic audience.”

For more information on Championships, visit the WTF’s website.

2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport GLOBAL GAMES: Update regarding volcanic activity in Ecuador 3

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The Opening Ceremony of the 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Ecuador is less than 3 weeks away. More than two and a half years of planning culminates with more than 650 athletes from 35 nations competing in 9 sports.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport would like to express its deepest gratitude to all athletes and teams for supporting this event, and wish you every success in competition.

However, nations will also be aware that in recent days, the Cotopaxi Volcano – located around 30 miles from Quito – began to show signs of an eruption. Ash and gasses were sent up in to the air and these reached areas of the city. The Ecuadorian Government has declared a state of emergency and the region is preparing for a full eruption. (Daily updates regarding the volcano are available in Spanish and English at: https://www.seguridad.gob.ec/category/comunicamos/noticias/)

Since the volcano became active, World Intellectual Impairment Sport has been liaising with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and taking advice from the Ecuadorian Government, Institute of Geophysics and the various embassies to assess the impact on the event.

Whilst no-one can give a definitive assessment of what will happen, activity at the volcano has been increasing and is now continuous. There is an expectation that the volcano will erupt in the days, weeks or months ahead and were this to happen, the impact on the area will be significant. Masks would need to be worn, air and road travel will be disrupted, and major venues – including those being used to host the Global Games – would be required by the authorities to house the many people who must be relocated.

Whilst World Intellectual Impairment Sport wishes to do everything possible to ensure the Games are successful, the safety and health of athletes, team staff, officials and supporters is paramount.

At greatest risk, due to their close proximity to the volcano, are the venues for athletics and table tennis which are due to be held in Latacunga – a town situation in the foothills of the volcano. However the LOC has advised that there will also be widespread disruption (including risk to health) from airborne ashes and gasses across Quito – and that safety cannot be assured.

The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Governing Board have therefore concluded that it is left with no choice but to authorise the LOC to relocate events to venues away from Quito and outside the area of influence and danger of the volcano.

Consequently, the LOC have today confirmed that athletics will now take place in Guaranda, swimming and basketball will take place in Guayaquil and table tennis will take place in Cuenca.

The venue of other sports will be confirmed within the next few days and are expected to be in the Guayaquil/Cuenca area. At this time we expect all sports to take place as planned and venues for athletics and swimming have been chosen which are IAAF/FINA certified respectively in order that IPC classification/sanction is preserved.

These changes do of course impact upon team planning. Most significantly, the LOC request that flights should be re-arranged to arrive directly into Guayaquil airport. Please contact your airline to discuss this change immediately. You should also plan for teams to be separated across 3 venue areas.

Where it is not possible to re-arrange flights, please contact the LOC at global.games@inas.org for advice or to make alternative arrangements for onward travel from Quito airport.

Arrival/Departure and ceremony dates all remain the same, accommodation options are being secured and you will be accommodated in a standard of hotel as similar as possible to that which was requested in Quito, and transport between the various venues is also being organised.

This has been a very unique and difficult situation that has changed daily. We realise the significant inconvenience and disruption that these changes might cause for your team, however you will appreciate and agree that the health and safety of delegations should be our foremost concern.

We will of course keep teams up to date with further information at the earliest opportunity however if you are concerned or have questions, then please contact the organisers (global.games@inas.org) or World Intellectual Impairment Sport (enquiries@inas.org) and we will try to assist as quickly as possible.

Finally, it is also critical that your final team entry details/payments are submitted to the LOC as soon as possible. Accommodation cannot be secured if payment has not been received, and competitions/classification schedules cannot be completed without full athlete information.

We very much look forward to welcoming you to Ecuador in a few short weeks. Please can we ask for your patience and understanding in the days ahead as the LOC make their final preparations, and we thankyou for your help to make the 2015 Global Games a huge success.

2015 Global Games: UPDATE REGARDING VOLCANIC ACTIVITY IN ECUADOR

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logo ecuador 2015_2Further to our update last week regarding the increased activity of the Cotapaxi Volcano in Ecuador, we have continued to liaise closely with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the 2015 Global Games and sought advice from a number of official sources including the Ecuadorian Institute of Geophysics, embassies and government.

The security and safety of athletes during the Games is our primary concern and both World Intellectual Impairment Sport officials and the LOC are working hard to ensure the Games can take place safely and successfully.

Due to their close proximity to the volcano the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Governing Board has this week approved the relocation of athletics and table tennis competition away from their intended venues in Latacunga, and we continue to assess the safety and potential impact in other sports. World Intellectual Impairment Sport is currently finalising details of these changes with the LOC and will confirm details – together with how these changes will be managed – at the earliest opportunity.

This is a particularly busy time both for World Intellectual Impairment Sport and the LOC and we ask for your patience and understanding. Despite the challenges we face, we remain confident that the 2015 Games will be a fantastic showcase of sport for athletes with an intellectual disability at its very best.

Finally, our thoughts and best wishes are also extended to the people of Ecuador who currently live under the threat of this volcanic eruption.

One month until the opening ceremony of the 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

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logo ecuador 2015_220th of August marks one month to go until the opening ceremony of the 2015 Ecuador World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games – the world’s largest elite sporting event for athletes with an intellectual disability.

Registration for the Games closed on the 31st of July with 35 countries confirming their participation in this pinnacle event of the World Intellectual Impairment Sport calendar.

These include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Japan, Macau, Mauritius, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela.

The event features top-level competition in nine sports (athletics, basketball, cycling, futsal, swimming, rowing, table tennis, tennis and taekwondo) and will take place from the 20th to the 27th of September in Quito, Ecuador. Around 700 athletes are expected to compete.

The opening ceremony will take place on Sunday 20th of September and aims to get people from all ages to get involved and make of this gathering a sport celebration that will be held for the first time in a South American country.

Hartmut Freund (Germany) is one of the athletes who has qualified for the Games. He is Germany’s sole participant to the event, and is national Table Tennis champion in the Class 11 (intellectual disability). “Table tennis is his life and the Global Games is a great adventure for him” says guardian and coach Norbert Freund. “Due to no financial support he is largely dependent on sponsors, family and his idol – German table tennis star Dimitrij Ovtcharov – who has kindly supported his international competitions”.

Planning for the Games has been hampered in recent days by activity at the Cotopaxi Volcano – located around 35 miles to the south of Quito – and whilst World Intellectual Impairment Sport has confirmed that it expects the event to go ahead as planned, an announcement will be made in the coming days regarding athletics and table table which were due to be held in the town of Latacunga, located close to the volcano.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport President, Amaury Russo, is looking ahead to the Games. “Despite the complications of the past few days, I believe we can look forward to an exceptional event in Quito next month, and it will be an exciting preview to some of those athletes seeing qualification to the Rio Paralympics just a year from now.

2015 Global Games: Volcanic activity in Ecuador

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Reports over the past days indicate that there has been minor volcanic activity at Latacunga Volcano in Central Ecuador.
We would like to reassure members that World Intellectual Impairment Sport is in contact with the Local Organising Committee of the 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games and we will be monitoring the advice of the government and relevant authorities in Ecuador.
At this time, planning for the Games continues uninterrupted, and we look forward to a successful event in September. World Intellectual Impairment Sport will provide a further update in the coming days.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport and WGT Sport sign partnership agreement

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wgtsport_identTo mark the 1st Global ID Sport Day, World Intellectual Impairment Sport is proud to announce a partnership with WGT Sport as their preferred travel supplier.

As an international charity running more than 15 Championship competitions across the globe every year, World Intellectual Impairment Sport depends on reliable and efficient travel planning.

As a specialist partner of British Airways and with good contacts with other hotels and airlines, WGT Sport are able to source the most cost-effective travel options for World Intellectual Impairment Sport, our member organisations and athletes. They ensure that every trip is well-planned, meets our requirements and, should anything unexpected happen, are on hand to find a solution.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport and WGT Sport Ltd have worked together over the past year and we are delighted to formalise this partnership as preferred supplier for travel management. In addition, for every booking WGT Sport will make a donation to World Intellectual Impairment Sport.

Phillip Betts, Managing Director of WGT Sports said “I am very pleased that WGT Sport Ltd has become a preferred supplier of travel management for World Intellectual Impairment Sport. We are delighted to support athletes with an intellectual disability through our excellent service, as well as make a financial contribution to support their work”.

To make a booking with WGT Sport Ltd contact them quoting World Intellectual Impairment Sport02 on +44 845 50 50 175 or by email to info@wgtsport.com or visit their website www.wgtsport.org.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport membership celebrate Global ID Sports Day

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ID Day logo1Member organisations and partners across the world are coming together to support the inaugural event, with the aim being to raise awareness and celebrate intellectually disabled sport.

Across the 77 World Intellectual Impairment Sport member nations support is being shown for the event with highlights including Portugal hosting an International Indoor Rowing event, USA announcing their team for the upcoming Global Games and Brazil hosting a Futsal event in Sao Paulo.

Amaury Russo, Inas President “Global ID Sports Day is a fantastic opportunity to promote sport for athletes with an intellectual disability.  2015 is an exciting year for World Intellectual Impairment Sport with growth in membership, the 2015 Ecuador Global Games and 13 international and regional events already hosted this year.

With the support of clubs, sports organisations, governments and media around the world getting behind Global ID Sports Day we can continue to make real progress to help break down barriers and grow awareness of our athletes, members and programmes.”

Global ID Sports Day will become an exciting annual focal point in the calendar using the scale of multiple events and activities to raise awareness, and harness corporate and media support for its members and athletes.

Why not show your support this year by going on social media and using the hashtag #GlobalIDSportsDay @Inassport.

100 days to go until the 2015 Ecuador Global Games

12 June also marks 100 days to go until the 2015 Ecuador Global Games in Quito.  The World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games are the world’s largest elite sporting event for athletes with an intellectual disability.

The opening ceremony will take place on 20th September 2015 with competition commencing the next day across 10 venues.

Taking place just a year ahead of the Rio Paralympic Games, it will be a fantastic opportunity for athletes aiming for qualification to Rio as both the Athletics and Swimming events are sanctioned by the IPC.

Great Britain multiple medalist, Peter Millar, said of competing, “It is an honour to represent Great Britain at Tennis. I have enjoyed lots of success over the years at World Intellectual Impairment Sport competitions and I am training hard to continue doing so at future events.”

The 1st World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games were held in Bollnas, Sweden in 2004.  To date more than 2500 athletes have competed at the event over the three editions.  2015 is set to be the biggest yet with more than 1000 athletes across nine sports: athletics, swimming, table tennis, rowing, basketball, futsal, tennis, taekwondo and cycling.

It is the first time the event will have been held outside of Europe, following Sweden, Czech Republic and Italy who have hosted the prestigious event in the past.

As part of 100 days to go celebrations FEDEDI (Federacion Ecuatoriana de Deportes para Personas con Discapacidad Intelectual) in conjunction with the Ecuadorian Paralympic Committee will be hosting a multi sport event giving intellectually disabled athletes opportunities to try sports they have not competed in before.

For more information on the 2015 Ecuador Global Games visit the official event website www.inasgg2015.org

 

Brisbane to host 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games

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World Intellectual Impairment Sport – the International Federation for sport for para-athletes with an intellectual disability – has selected Brisbane, Australia to host the 5th World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in 2019.

The Games – a week long championship featuring nine sports – will attract more than 1000 of the world’s elite athletes with an intellectual disability. The opening ceremony will take place on 19th October 2019.

AUSRAPID is the World Intellectual Impairment Sport member organisation responsible for the delivery of the Games.  Chief Executive, Robyn Smith was delighted to win the bid process “The Brisbane Global Games 2019 vision is to deliver a uniquely memorable and exciting celebration of sport and culture which focuses on ability. The event will create an atmosphere that inspires achievement, harmony and a sense of unity consistent with the Games vision.”

Amaury Russo, World Intellectual Impairment Sport President said of the bid “Brisbane Global Games 2019 aligns totally with the World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Vision that athletes with an intellectual disability across the World have the opportunity to achieve excellence in sport and high-level competition.  The package planned by the local organising committee provides a great opportunity to create a long-term legacy by delivering an event that will have a positive social impact and reinforce the benefits of inclusive sport”

Greg Dunk, General Manager- Strategy and Corporate Affairs Life Stream Australia and member of the Games Bid Team stated “Brisbane is a beautiful city and boasts some of the best sporting facilities in the world, all within close proximity to the competition and training venues.  The Games will be a life-changing event for all athletes, officials, volunteers and spectators, and for communities across the Brisbane Region, Queensland and Australia.  It will bring people together in a secure, fun and friendly environment for a whole-of-Games experience and deliver a world-class sporting competition.”

Taking place just a year ahead of the Paralympic Games in 2020, it will be a fantastic opportunity for athletes aiming for qualification in Tokyo.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport will work closely with the local organising committee to ensure a transfer of knowledge and experience from the 2015 Global Games in Ecuador later this year.  It will be the first time as a region Oceania have hosted the Games and provides a real opportunity for engagement within the region to develop sport for athletes with an intellectual disability.

AUSRAPID works in partnership with many national and international sporting bodies and key peak agencies on a day to day basis to facilitate inclusiveness in sport for people with an intellectual disability.  This partnership approach has been presented as part of Brisbane Global Games 2019 integrating a sports development program to promote the long-term viability of the Global Games sports including $50,000 AUD to fund sports development initiatives and programs in the Oceania Region.