Dr Bob Price to step down as Inas President

/in /by
Dr Bob Price OBE, will this weekend step down as Inas President following completion of two terms of office in which he has overseen the successful re-inclusion of athletes with an intellectual disability into the Paralympic Games.
Price, who has previously held roles including Chairman of the Great Britain National Paralympic Committee, President of the European Paralympic Committee, Chef De Mission of the GB team to 5 Paralympic Games, and is a member of the Paralympic Order, was elected President of Inas in 2007.
His appointment followed seven years of exclusion of athletes with an intellectual disability from Paralympic sport and he immediately set about the task of building a collaboration between Inas – the International Federation for sport for athletes with an intellectual disability – and the International Paralympic Committee.
A joint Inas/IPC working group was soon established which, supported by a team of researchers from universities in Europe and North America, developed a system of classification which brought about a decision in 2009 to re-instate competition for athletes with an intellectual disability in time for the 2012 Paralympic Games. 120 athletes went on to compete in London athletics, swimming and table tennis.
Colleagues within Inas have congratulated Dr Price on his retirement. “Bob’s achievements in disability sport were already significant, but the success he has achieved during his time as Inas President leaves a lasting legacy for all athletes with an intellectual disability across the World”.
Xavier Gonzalez, Chief Executive of the International Paralympic Committee thanked Dr Price for his contribution to the Paralympic movement. “Your leadership has contributed so much, in particular our work on the inclusion of athletes with an intellectual disability in the Games where your vision was key to the success”.
Inas rules allow individuals to hold office for no more than two terms and an election will be held on Sunday (29th April) at the Inas General Assembly in Rio De Janeiro to identify Dr Price’s successor.