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.

 

Italy to host 2016 Inas World Indoor Athletics Championships

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FISDIR – the Italian Federation of Sports for Intellectual and Relational Disabled – and World Intellectual Impairment Sport – the International Federation for sport for athletes with an intellectual disability – are proud to announce that the 2016 Inas World Indoor Athletics Championships will take place in Ancona, Italy.

With the local support of Anthropos, one of the 350 team affiliates to FISDIR, Italy will host the prestigious event from 11th to 13th March 2016. The event will take place in the Ancona Palaindoor, the number one indoor athletics complex in Italy. The World Championships will have support from the Marche Region, the Ancona District, the Ancona City and from the Italian Paralympic Committee.

More than 100 athletes will compete in the Championships with Portugal looking to build on their success of eight golds and 25 medals in total at the 2015 European Championships with some more strong performances. They are likely to face tough competition from Poland though who finished top of the 2014 World Championship medal table, in addition to strong teams from France and Russia.

Nelio Piermattei, a member of the local organizing committee and FISDIR Governing Board member said of winning the candidature: “After the success of hosting the 2005 European Championships, Ancona is ready to organize another important event such as the 2016 Inas World Athletic Indoor Championships. The event will be a great opportunity to support the development of sports for intellectually disabled and the spread of the Paralympic culture of integration and socialization. Our thanks goes to the Inas Governing Board for giving us this opportunity, I’m sure that Italy is ready to face this important challenge”.

Nick Parr, Inas Executive Director said “Italy have been great supporters of the Inas sports programme for many years now and with proven success at delivering events, we are excited to be able to award the event to FISDIR. The 2014 World Championships saw 12 different nations winning medals, with the 2016 event looking set to be just as competitive.”

World Intellectual Impairment Sport launches Global ID Sports Day (12.06.2015)

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World Intellectual Impairment Sport is delighted to announce the launch of Global ID Sports Day: an opportunity for people around the world to come together to celebrate participation and excellence in sport for people with an intellectual disability.

In its inaugural year the event will take place on Friday 12 June 2015 – exactly 100 days to go until the 2015 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Global Games in Ecuador. The day aims to raise the profile of World Intellectual Impairment Sport, its members and celebrate the success of athletes with an intellectual disability across the world.

World Intellectual Impairment Sport hopes that 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.

Nick Parr, Executive Director said “As the global governing body for sport for athletes with an intellectual disability, I am delighted that World Intellectual Impairment Sport is launching Global ID Sports Day to recognise and promote opportunities for a group of people that are all too often marginalised and excluded from sport.

We hope that clubs, sports organisations, governments and media around the world will get behind this initiative”

Member nations, athletes, partner organisations and sports fans are encouraged to flood social media with tweets, posts, photos, stories, future event information and excitement about intellectually disabled sport using the handles:

@inassport             #GlobalIDSportDay

“I am proud thahttps://virtus.sport/wp-admin/post.php?post=5977&action=edit#t World Intellectual Impairment Sport is launching Global ID Sport Day. This is a fantastic opportunity to promote sport for athletes with an intellectual disability and to help break down barriers and grow awareness” said World Intellectual Impairment Sport President Amaury Russo.

Download the media pack and communications plan

World Intellectual Impairment Sport /IPC joint working group member wins Scientific Award

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mactavishProfessor Jennifer Mactavish is to receive the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) 2015 Paralympic Scientific Award in recognition of the role she played in the re-inclusion of athletes with an intellectual impairment into the Paralympic programme.

The Canadian who is the Dean of the Yeates School of Graduate Studies at Ryerson University, Canada, will receive her honour at the VISTA 2015 Conference in Girona, Spain, which runs from 7-10 October.

The award is given biennially to an academic researcher for his or her contributions to research in the field of sports for persons with an impairment, and it serves to promote and encourage further study in this area.

Amaury Russo, President of World Intellectual Impairment Sport congratulated Professor Mactavish on her achievement “This announcement is the latest in a series of  awards given to the joint World Intellectual Impairment Sport-IPC working group and its members, in recognition of their work to re-include athletes with an intellectual impairment in Paralympic competition. It reinforces once again the importance of the collaboration, and recognises the personal contribution made by Jennifer and her colleagues in pursuit of fairness”.

“I am delighted and humbled to be the recipient of the 2015 Paralympic Scientific award,” said Professor Mactavish. “This tribute rightfully belongs to a dedicated community of academics, graduate students, coaches and sport federations from around the world, who have worked together over the years to address a complex question that unanswered would continue to exclude athletes with intellectual impairment from showcasing their talents at the highest level of sport.

“I am very proud of what we have accomplished, and particularly so for the athletes who can again dream of representing their countries as Paralympians!”

For the last 20 years, Professor Mactavish has been an expert in the field of persons and athletes with an intellectual impairment and spent 15 years spearheading the research to get athletes with an intellectual impairment re-introduced to the Paralympic programme.

 

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President, said: “I would like to congratulate Professor Mactavish who has spent her entire life in the pursuit of equal opportunities for all on winning this award. The reintroduction of intellectually impaired athletes back into the Paralympic Games was the outcome of a unique and excellent collaboration between sports governance and the scientific community.

“Professor Mactavish played a significant role in that reintroduction and every single athlete with an intellectual impairment who competed at London 2012 and who will line-up at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games should be thankful for her tremendous contribution.

“She is a worthy winner and I look forward to presenting her with the award at October’s VISTA 2015 conference in Girona.”