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15 August 2003

New Paralympics New Zealand Website and "Brand" to be launched early October!

In early October Paralympics New Zealand will be engaging in a number of exciting advances - a new Organisational brand, an exciting new Website, and the Web based Education Resource Programme, developed by Bernice Mene.


20 May 2002

Wheel Blacks Win Chris Handy Cup In Sydney

The New Zealand wheelchair rugby team, the Wheel Blacks, convincingly beat the Australian Steelers to win the Chris Handy Cup on Friday 2nd August in Sydney.

The Wheel Blacks bounced back from a disappointing 6th at the recent World Championships to beat Australia 42-37. The Australians, the 2001 winners of the Cup and ranked 3rd in the world, could not respond after going down 2 goals at halftime and conceded a number of crucial turnovers. Wheel Black captain, Bill Ougthon, receiving the Most Valuable Player award and Sholto Taylor had a strong game.

The Wheel Blacks Head Coach, Barry Hislop said "The Team played very well today. They played like a team, supported each other and kept the pressure on Australia all the time. It is great to have the Chris Handy Cup back in New Zealand."

The Wheel Blacks had beaten an Australian team and a Great Britain Development team the day before and had shown they playing well winning 45-40 and 42-22 respectively. The Team returns to New Zealand on Tuesday after playing 2 further development games against Australia and Great Britain.

The team were as follows:

Athletes:
Bill Oughton (Christchurch, Captain), Steve Guthrie (Christchurch), Phil Spring (Fielding), Geremy Tinker (Christchurch), Tim Johnson (Christchurch), Curtis Palmer (Auckland), Sholto Taylor (Hawkes Bay), Dan Buckingham (Christchurch)

For further information:

Cherie Porter
Team Manager
Mob. (021) 351 336

Andy Parkinson
NZWR President
Mob. (025) 202 1598
Email. andyp@paralympicsnz.org.nz


20 May 2002

Wheel Blacks Ready For World Title Challenge

The New Zealand wheelchair rugby team, the Wheel Blacks, departs New Zealand on Wednesday 22nd May, 2002 to compete at the International Wheelchair Rugby World Championships.

The team will be departing from Auckland International Airport at 11.55am for Gothenburg, Sweden with high hopes of bettering their 3rd place at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. The Wheel Blacks first game is against Belgium in pool play on Tuesday 28th May. Other nations in the Wheel Blacks’ pool are Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and the 2nd ranked nation in the world, Australia.

Andy Parkinson, NZWR President says "The Team had their last training camp last week and they all looked fit and ready to take on the best teams in the world in Sweden. The pool is certainly in the Wheel Blacks’ favour and the Coach will be looking for some strong performance from key players."

The team has been well supported in their preparation by Paralympics New Zealand, the New Zealand Academy of Sport and the New Zealand Community Trust.

Good luck emails can be sent to wheelblacks@hotmail.com or faxed to + 46 31 750 88 82. Results can be found at http://www.wcrugby2002.com throughout the event.

The team is as follows:

Athletes:
Geremy Tinker (Class: 2.0, Christchurch, Captain), Bill Oughton (1.0, Christchurch, Vice-Captain), Andrew Chittock (1.0, Christchurch), Gary McMurray (2.0, Auckland), Tim Johnson (2.0, Christchurch), Curtis Palmer (2.5, Auckland), Sholto Taylor (2.5, Hawkes Bay), Peter Martin (2.5, Hamilton), Dan Buckingham (3.0, Christchurch), Paul Leefe (3.5, Auckland)

Staff:
Cherie Porter (Team Manager, Christchurch), Barry Hislop (Head Coach, Wellington) Phil Washbourn (Support Staff), Rebecca Washbourn (Support Staff), David Tielman (Medical, Christchurch), Mike Turner (Mechanic, Christchurch).

For further information:

Kathy Barwell
Paralympics NZ Manager – High Performance
Tel. (09) 522 4601
Mob. (025) 229 7511
Email. kbarwell@paralympicsnz.org.nz


07 May 2002

World Championships Teams Announced By Paralympics New Zealand

Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) has today named teams to compete at the Wheelchair Rugby, Boccia and Shooting World Championships over the next three months.

Craig Hobbs, PNZ Executive Director says that the strength of these teams gives every confidence that they will add to the recent successes at Salt Lake City of Winter Paralympians Rachael Battersby and Steve Bayley. "We have teams competing in seven World Championships this year as well as athletes at the Commonwealth Games. Results from these events help to establish qualifying for the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games so expectations are high."

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY

The Wheel Blacks, ranked 3rd in the world, will be looking to do better than their bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games when they compete at the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden from the 28th May to the 3rd of June. The main competition will come from the USA, Canada and Australia. The team departs from Auckland on the 22nd of May.

Athletes:
Geremy Tinker (Class: 2.0, Christchurch, Captain), Bill Oughton (1.0, Christchurch, Vice-Captain), Andrew Chittock (1.0, Christchurch), Gary McMurray (2.0, Auckland), Tim Johnson (2.0, Christchurch), Curtis Palmer (2.5, Auckland), Sholto Taylor (2.5, Hawkes Bay), Peter Martin (2.5, Hamilton), Dan Buckingham (3.0, Christchurch), Paul Leefe (3.5, Auckland)

Staff:
Cherie Porter (Team Manager, Christchurch), Barry Hislop (Head Coach, Wellington) Phil Washbourn (Support Staff), Rebecca Washbourn (Support Staff), David Tielman (Medical, Christchurch), Mike Turner (Mechanic, Christchurch)

Event Website: http://www.wcrugby2002.com/

BOCCIA

4 athletes in the team to travel to the World Boccia Championships on the 18th – 29th June at Povoa do Varzim, Portugal have had top 8 finishes at recent world events, including Ross Flood who achieved New Zealand’s best international result with a 4th place at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Two athletes will make their international debuts, Liam Sanders from Auckland and Greig Jackson from Levin. The team flies out from Christchurch on June 16th.

Athletes:
Greig Jackson (BC3, Levin), Paul Woodhead (BC3, Christchurch), Henk Dijkstra (BC3, Dunedin), Paul Munckhof (BC1, Auckland), Liam Sanders (BC1, Auckland), Ross Flood (BC2, Auckland), Stacey Roche (BC2, Hamilton)

Staff:
Kerry Stead (Team Manager, Christchurch), Trevor Jenkinson (Head Coach, Christchurch), Deane Sanders (Assistant Coach, Auckland), Amy Tope (Players Assistant), Kyle Simpson (Ramp Assistant), Peggy Rowlands (Ramp Assistant) Saemi Tanaka (Ramp Assistant)

SHOOTING

Colin Willis is currently competing at the Swiss Open in preparation for the IPC World Shooting Championships in Hwasung, Korea (3 –13 July). After finishing second at the Oceania Championships last year in the R1 Air Rifle Standing event, his build up has been assisted by a number of New Zealand Shooting Federation training camps.

Athletes:
Colin Willis (SH1, Christchurch)

Staff:
To be announced at a later date

Event Website: http://www.kosad.or.kr/shooting/

For further information
Kathy Barwell
Manager – High Performance
Tel. (09) 522 4601
Mob. (025) 229 7511
Email. kbarwell@paralympicsnz.org.nz


22 April 2002

Following the successful Forum held in conjunction with the 2001 Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) AGM the membership called for a further Forum to specifically discuss the relationship between PNZ and the membership.

On 23rd March 2002 the PNZ membership met in Wellington with the key outcome to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of Paralympics New Zealand and member organisations, how one can support the other and how the two parties develop a working relationship.

Please see below for copies of the PNZ Presentation delivered to the members and the notes taken from the Forum.

PNZ Members Forum - Wellington March 2002

Powerpoint Presentation [To run the presentation click the link. N.B. As this presentation is 3.5MB in size high bandwidth is recommended for those interested in viewing it. Microsoft Powerpoint must also be installed on your computer. Use Page Down/Up to navigate the presentation]

Notes from the Forum [These notes are formatted as a PDF file, viewable using Adobe's Acrobat Reader. If you don't already have Acrobat Reader you may download the latest version here] -

 

07 March 2002

Vlll Winter Paralympic Games Open in Salt Lake City

The New Zealand flag will be flying in the Rice Eccles Stadium today as the New Zealand Winter Paralympic Team begin their 2002 campaign. Led by Cantabrian Rachel Battersby, second overall on the FIS World Cup Circuit leading up to the Games, the small New Zealand contingent will contest the Alpine disciplines Downhill, Super G, Slalom and Giant Slalom over the next nine days of competition.

Fellow Cantabrian Steve Bayley will be hoping his solid form leading into the Games will push him into medal contention, he won Bronze in the Giant Slalom in Nagano in 1998.

Former Winter Paralympic Gold Medallist, Patrick Cooper is a coach with the Team so there is no shortage of experience and motivation.

430 athletes from 35 countries will parade in Salt Lake today with host country USA looking to topple Germany as the leading medal winning nation.

Further details and up to date results can be sourced from the official Winter Paralympics website or by visiting www.disabledskiing.org.nz.

The New Zealand Winter Paralympic Team is funded by the New Zealand Academy of Sport through Paralympics New Zealand.

John Hughes
Executive Director
Paralympics New Zealand
0274 548 845


12 February 2002

Paralympics New Zealand appoints new Executive Director

A strong background in sports marketing and sponsorship and involvement in high performance sport as an athlete and coach will give Craig Hobbs a solid start in his new role as Executive Director of Paralympics New Zealand.

Craig was previously Marketing Manager for North Harbour Stadium and most recently Sponsorship Account Manager for Sportsworld Media Group N Z Ltd. His interest in and passion for sport come from a lifetime involvement as an athlete, coach and administrator, he is a former New Zealand rowing trialist and National men's U-21 Hockey coach.

He moves into an organisation with a growing profile and recognition and will add considerable value to what has already been achieved.

Hobbs is delighted with his appointment and is eager to take up the challenge of his new role. "Our Paralympians have achieved international results that are the envy of most NZ Sports Bodies. I am very much looking forward to directly contributing to the development of, support for and opportunities provided some of New Zealand's most inspirational and internationally successful athletes. In addition I want to ensure the organisation continues to provide a clear pathway for every member or potential member to be involved in a sport of their choice at a level of their choice."

Board Chairman Craig Purdy said "Hobbs was a standout candidate from a very strong field and we believe the organisation will be in good hands under his leadership."

Outgoing Executive Director John Hughes was also enthusiastic about the appointment. "Craig has excellent credentials and will do a great job in taking the organisation to another level. There is a huge learning curve but Craig will inherit a sound structure and dedicated staff and he has already demonstrated a feel and understanding of the organisation that will stand him in good stead."

Craig Hobbs officially takes over as Executive Director of Paralympics New Zealand on March 28.

For further details please contact:
Craig Purdy 027 444 8649
John Hughes 0274 548 845
Craig Hobbs 021 622 078

Sporting CV follows.

SPORTING INVOLVEMENT:

HOCKEY
As a Player represented: Canterbury, Auckland, North Harbour & Wellington

As a Coach:

  • 1991 SLAM Premier Women's Team NZ Women's Interclub Knockout Championship and the 1995 Auckland Women's Championship.
  • Auckland Rep. 1st 1990 Trans-Tasman U16 Girls Tournament. 1st 1991 New Zealand U18 Girls Tournament.
  • Coached 1994 Auckland B Men to win the North Island Men's Tournament.
  • 1996-98 Auckland Women's Team
  • 1998 Assistant Coach, New Zealand Olympic Academy Men's Squad
  • 1998 Achieved NZ Level 3 Coaching Accreditation.
  • 1999 - 2000 New Zealand Men's National Selector, Technical Advisor New Zealand Men's Team
  • 2000 - 2001 Head Coach - NZ Men's U-21 Hockey Team
  • Won Oceania Junior World Cup Qualifying Series versus reigning Junior World Champions Australia, 2 tests to 1.
  • Seven members of the 2000 U-21 team were selected for full National honours in 2001. 4 for the first time.
  • 9th Place (NZ highest ever finishing position) 7th Junior World Cup Hobart Australia.

ROWING

1982 -90

  • Won 2 National Championship Lightweight Titles
  • Canterbury Provincial 8 1985
  • NZ trialist 1983-85


09 January 2002

HEINEKEN OPEN CREATES HISTORY
ClaxoSmithKline Wheelchair Tennis Exhibition Match

The Heineken Open will create history tonight as it becomes the first major tennis tournament in New Zealand to schedule wheelchair tennis on the programme.

A thirty minute exhibition game sponsored by leading pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline will provide tennis fans with an action packed insight into the game on wheels. The country’s four top ranked players will battle it out showing their exceptional tennis and wheelchair skills.

The only rule modification is that the ball can bounce twice otherwise all ITF rules apply.

This initiative promoted by New Zealand Wheelchair Tennis and Paralympics New Zealand follows an international trend to include wheelchair tennis at major tournaments.

"Wheelchair tennis is administered by ITF with Heineken a sponsor of both forms of tennis at an international level, it is fantastic that New Zealand can be part of this global trend" says Paralympics New Zealand Executive Director John Hughes. "This is a great opportunity for us to profile this exciting game to the tennis fans of Auckland. Auckland Tennis have been extremely supportive and the inclusion of wheelchair tennis can only enhance what is already a high profile tournament."

GlaxoSmithKline Managing Director Peter Schweikert says, "GSK is proud to be associated with this event providing athletes with disabilities an opportunity to showcase their talents to the wider sporting public."

Further Information
John Hughes
Executive Director
Paralympics New Zealand
0274 548 845


26 November 2001

Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championships

Parafed Canterbury from Saturday to Monday, December 1-3 will host the Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championships at the Pioneer Stadium, 75 Lyttelton Street, Christchurch. The Gold Medal game will take place at 3pm Monday the 3rd of December.

There will be 4 countries contesting the Championships with some of the best wheelchair rugby players in the world taking part. The top 2 teams will qualify for the Wheelchair Rugby World Championships in Sweden 2002.

The teams competing are:

Australia – Silver medallists at the Sydney Paralympic Games 2000
Japan
South Africa
and our very own
New Zealand Wheel Blacks – Bronze medallists at the Sydney Paralympic Games in 2000.

New Zealand will be out to turn the tables on Australia after recent close matches and with the very fast Japanese and the South Africans who are competing for the first time internationally, all is set up for three days of exciting wheelchair rugby action.

If you have never seen this sport then don’t miss out on this full contact, skilful game that is the fastest growing Paralympic Sport in the world.

Chairman of the organising committee and Oceania Wheelchair Rugby President, Ken Sowden said "This is the first time an Oceania Qualifying tournament has been held and it promises to be a festival of wheelchair rugby contested by some incredible athletes".

See below draw for a complete break down of games.

DAY ONE - 1st DECEMBER

Game 1 10:00 Japan v New Zealand
Game 2 12:00 Australia v South Africa
Game 3 15:00 Japan v Australia
Game 4 17:00 New Zealand v South Africa

DAY TWO - 2nd DECEMBER

Game 5 10:00 Japan v South Africa
Game 6 12:00 New Zealand v Australia
Semi-Final 1 15:00 1 v 4
Semi-Final 2 17:00 2 v 3

DAY THREE - 3rd DECEMBER

Bronze Medal Match
13:00 Loser Semi 1 v Loser Semi 2

Gold Medal Match
15:00 Winner Semi 1 v Winner Semi 2

For further information
Ken Sowden
President
Oceania Wheelchair Rugby
03 385 4449
025 732 563

Phil Humphreys
Stadium Co-ordinator
03 326 7897
021 216 5010


30 October 2001

New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby 2001 National Championships
Chance for National Team Selection

The 2001 NZWR National Championships will be hosted by the Waikato Wheelchair Rugby Association from Thursday to Sunday, November 1st – 4th at the Hamilton YMCA (11.00 am – 6.00pm).

The A Grade Final will take place at 2.30pm on Sunday, November 4 and all teams will be looking to topple Canterbury’s dominance in recent years. Teams from Canterbury (2), Auckland, Central (2), Wellington and Waikato, including local sporting legends Peter Martin and Dave MacCalman, will contest for the National title.

This year sees the introduction of a B Grade at the National Championships, which will include two Waikato teams going head to head. There will be much pride at stake in the local derby between Waikato B and Tainui Waka.

Athletes will also be playing for a place in the Wheel Black team to take on Australia, Japan and South Africa at the forthcoming World Championships qualifier in Christchurch (December 1st – 3rd).

NZWR President, Andy Parkinson said "This years National Championships will be a fitting end to an already successful domestic season. The Waikato community loves their wheelchair rugby and I am sure the spectators will not be disappointed with the level of play. With only a month to the qualifier for next years World Champs many athletes will come to Hamilton with much to prove."

For further information

Andy Parkinson
President
New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby
09 522 4605
025 202 1598

Isaac Rakena
Tournament Director
Waikato Wheelchair Rugby
07 824 5174


12 October 2001

Paralympics New Zealand Juniors replace CHOGM
as the only Game in Town.

With the cancellation of CHOGM in Brisbane the focus shifted to the Australian Junior Disabled Games dominated by a New Zealand Team who won 35 Gold Medals and set 31 New Zealand Records.

Led by Alex McIntyre (Canterbury) and Madeleine Wenmouth (Wellington) on the track and Sam Brown (Canterbury) in the pool the juniors outperformed their Australian counterparts and the visiting American Team.

Team Manager Ken Sowden said "all athletes performed outstandingly, we are rapt with the results and confident we have a strong base of junior athletes to carry on the fine record of New Zealand representatives at World Championships and Paralympic Games."

As well as performing in the competitive arena the team and their supporters had also done a fantastic job of raising the funds needed to get to Brisbane. In particular a grant from the Variety Club - The Children's Charity had assisted the Team in their fundraising efforts.

See a full list of results.

For further information contact:
John Hughes
Executive Director
Paralympics New Zealand
0274 548 845


12 September 2001

MEDIA RELEASE

NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE FOR
RECREATION AND SPORT AGENCY

Nicholas Hill has been appointed chief executive designate of the new recreation and sport agency. He will take up the position on 23 October and become chief executive once the legislation creating the agency is passed towards the end of the year.

For the past 10 years, Mr Hill has worked at a senior level within the energy sector most recently as general manager, commercial (NZ) of Fletcher Challenge Energy. Prior to that he worked for ECNZ. He was for a number of years with Treasury as an economic and financial analyst. He is currently working as a commercial adviser to Santos Ltd in Adelaide.

Mr Hill said he was keen to get to work on setting up the new agency and addressing the challenges highlighted in the report of the Ministerial Taskforce into Sport Fitness and Leisure.

"Our key priority has to be building a more active and healthy nation. This will depend on providing strong support for community based organisations and creating a sound and stable structure for high performance sport," he said.

John Wells, chairman of the Hillary Commission board which will become the first board of the new agency, said Mr Hill had been chosen for his vision, strategic thinking ability and strong leadership skills.

"The Ministerial Taskforce into Sport Fitness and Leisure signalled there needed to be a significant change in sport and recreation. We believe Nick has the right attributes to take the new agency forward," he said.

"Nick has a successful track record of leading business and organisational change with creativity, energy and enthusiasm. He has a strong mix of private sector and government experience which will be critical in achieving the Government's vision of a healthier, more active and successful sporting nation. What's more he has analytical and marketing skills that will be extremely valuable as the recreation and sport sector undergoes change."

Mr Hill is 40 and has degrees in law and arts. He played rugby for Otago University U20, and plays tennis, touch rugby and golf socially. He enjoys walking and tramping with his family.

The recreation and sport agency is being set up to achieve the Government's vision for a healthier and more active nation. It will integrate key functions of the Hillary Commission, the New Zealand Sports Foundation and the policy arm of the Office of Tourism and Sport.

As chief executive designate Mr Hill will focus on establishing the new agency until the legislation creating the organisation is passed. Peter Smith will continue as acting chief executive of the Hillary Commission until the new agency comes into being.

--- ENDS ---

Contacts for more information:

Nicholas Hill, Chief Executive Designate 00 61 8 83593324

 

John Wells, Chairman

 

021 905 6491


(Currently in Europe - available on Wednesday between 10am and 11am NZT)

 

Debbie Hannan, Communications Adviser

 

025 501 353

Nicholas Hill's biographical details are attached to this media release. His photograph can be downloaded from the Hillary Commission's website: www.hillarysport.org.nz.


27 June 2001

Canterbury In Driving Seat For The Final Round Of Domestic Wheelchair Rugby League

The third and final round of the 2001 New Zealand Rugby Foundation Wheelchair Rugby Championships offers Canterbury the chance to convert their national dominance into a 2nd consecutive national title.

The Massey Recreation Centre, Palmerston North, will host eight teams from around the country on Saturday June 30 (10.30am - 6pm) and Sunday July 1 (10.30 am - 3pm).

With the assistance of the league's major sponsor, the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, this year’s event has been a great success. The high standard of wheelchair rugby has been a perfect environment for potential national team members to show their skills in front of the selectors in preparation for the Wheel Blacks’ forthcoming test match against the Australians (August 10).

NZWR President, Andy Parkinson, said "The support of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation has been a critical factor in lifting the level of this event. This year there have been some outstanding team and personal performances and this can only bode well for the forthcoming international programme."

The Central Crushers teams will be hoping to do well on home turf and will expect much from Sholto Taylor, a member of the Sydney 2000 Wheel Blacks.

For further information

Andy Parkinson
President
New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby
09 522 4605
021 153 1027 (29th June to 1st July)
Neil Cudby
Media Liaison
Manuwatu Wheelchair Rugby
025 301 799

29 May 2001

Athens 2004 Campaign Launched

Paralympics New Zealand has launched its campaign for the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens by appointing a number of coaches to monitor and direct the training and performance of athletes over the next three years.

These volunteer positions will ensure a comprehensive buildup is planned and the funding allocated to each sport is used effectively. Following on from the success of the New Zealand Team in Sydney the challenge is to have an even more successful team in Athens.

"These coaches are an integral part of our plans for Athens 2004" says Kathy Barwell Academy Programme Manager of Paralympics New Zealand. "They will be working with us to ensure our athletes are adequately supported and prepared for a successful campaign."

"All coaches will work closely with the Academy of Sport and also work towards establishing closer relationships with the Head Coach of able bodied sports."

Paralympics New Zealand Coaches are:

  • Noel Hardgrave-Booth / Swimming / Napier
  • Jane Lowe – North Island Coordinator / Swimming / Wanganui
  • Bev Savage / Athletics – Field / Hamilton
  • Claire Dallison / Athletics – Track / Nelson
  • Blanche Herbert / Athletics – Wheelchair Track / Auckland
  • Jim Tunnicliffe / Powerlifting / Hamilton
  • Rachel Bird / Equestrian / Palmerston North
  • Barry Hislop / Wheelchair Rugby / Wellington

For further information contact:
Kathy Barwell
Paralympics New Zealand
Tel: 09 522-4601

Kathy Barwell
Academy Programme Manager
DDI. (09) 522 4601
Fax. (09) 522 4602
Email. kbarwell@paralympicsnz.org.nz


29 April 2001

IPC Strategic Congress Defines Future Policies
for Disabled Sports

Kuala Lumpur, April 29, 2001 - A new vision and mission will define the International Paralympic Committee' future activities and structure. They will be based on a strategic review of the IPC, which will be conducted in the coming months. This is one of the results of the IPC Strategic Planning Congress, which was closed today in Kuala Lumpur after three days of discussing the future of the umbrella organization for sport for athletes with a disability.

About 250 delegates from 75 nations attended the congress to determine the governance, roles and responsibilities and structure of the IPC. They contributed to a more in-depth understanding of the major concerns and challenges, which the organization is facing. These challenges arise as Paralympic sport is growing rapidly, which brings about new duties and new approaches regarding the set-up of the organization. Today, the IPC has more than 150 national members. At the time of its foundation 12 years ago, there were only 50 National Paralympic Committees. The number of elite athletes has also increased dramatically with the level of performance constantly rising.

The congress agreed that the IPC's focus is on sport rather than on disability. In addition, it was agreed that the IPC as an athlete-centered organization needs to strengthen the role of Paralympic athletes within its governing structures.

"The IPC is one of the most successful Sports Organizations in the world. Its mission is to create, develop and promote sports opportunities for athletes with a disability. However, the focus is on managing the Paralympic Games, the pinnacle of sports," explains Congress Chairman Dr. York Chow.

The Congress was hosted by the Malaysian Paralympic Council. Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Zainal Abu Zarin said: "We are very pleased that this congress was held in Malaysia. It was a great opportunity for us to promote sport for athletes with a disability in our country and to get in close contact with other members of the Paralympic family."

The President of the IPC, Dr. Robert Steadward, stressed in his closing remarks the diversity, which exists within the Paralympic movement. "Our goal is to provide more sporting opportunities for athletes with a disability in the less developed regions of the world and to strengthen the development of all national members."


06 April 2001

International Paralympic Committee signs contract with Athens

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announce it has signed a contract with the organising commmitee for the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games (ATHOC).

The XII Paralympic Summer Games 2004 will be staged shortly after the Olympic Games at the same competition venues. Approximately 4,000 athletes from 120 nations are expected to participate in these elite sport competitions for athletes with a disability. The Paralympic Games will thus be the second-largest elite sporting event worldwide.

"This contract is an important step towards the success of the next Paralympic Summer Games," said IPC President Dr. Robert Steadward. "We have experienced some delays, so the signing of this contract is a happy occasion for all our athletes. With only three years remaining, ATHOC has a great deal of preparation and challenge ahead."

"The IPC is confident that the Paralympic Summer Games in Athens will be a tremendous success," said Steadward. "We are enjoying an excellent relationship with the Organizing Committee."

For the first time in the history of the Paralympic Games, athletes with a disability will not have to pay an entry fee for participating at the Paralympic Games. They will be treated equitably with Olympic athletes, who have traditionally not had to pay such a fee.

Following the example of Salt Lake City, the host of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2002, there will be one joint Organizing Committee for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004. "This announcement is great news for us" says John Hughes Executive Director of Paralympics New Zealand. "As well as a considerable saving off our Athens budget this is also a further step in gaining recognition and equity for Paralympic athletes. The fact that for all intents and purposes they will be treated the same as Olympic athletes is a huge step forward and IPC are to be congratulated for achieving this."

For further information contact:
John Hughes, Paralympics New Zealand - Mobile (025) 548 845


06 April 2001

Paralympian Leads Development Team to Australian Nationals

Double Paralympic Games medallist, Matthew Slade from Canterbury heads a team of promising young athletes to the Australian Track and Field Championships in Canberra this weekend. For many of the squad it will be their last competitive outing of the season and for Slade the end of a long season stretching right back to his Paralympic buildup.

Paralympics New Zealand has sent teams to this event for the last four years providing athletes with a high level of competition and officiating without the expense of travelling to Europe or North America. The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games have created a higher awareness of Paralympic sport and many of these young athletes will have aspirations of making future New Zealand Paralympic Teams.

Paralympics New Zealand Executive Director John Hughes states "the make up of this team represents our committment to development and ensuring we have quality athletes coming through in the future. We will be observing the performances in Canberra with interest to see which athletes can foot it at this higher level and are worthy of investment as potential Paralympians."

The full squad is Matthew Slade, Kylie Hogarth, Pamela Mori, Jonathon Nelson, Mathew Peebles, Julian Bethell, Canterbury, Michelle Nunn, Phillip Hansford, Southland, Craig Shepperd Otago, Mark Symon Hawkes Bay.

For further information contact:
John Hughes, Paralympics New Zealand - Mobile (025) 548 845


29 March 2001

Paralympians Go Head to Head in Trans Tasman Athletics Test

Fresh from his 5th consecutive win in the Round the Bays event, wheelchair racer Gavin Foulsham is set to go head to head against Australia's Paul Nunnari as one of the highlights of the Trans Tasman Athletics Test at the Towers Track, Mt Smart Stadium this Saturday evening.

Nunnari will be out to make amends for his narrow loss to Foulsham during last Sunday's waterfront event, however, Foulsham could prove too strong in front of his home crowd.

The Glaxo Smith Kline 1600m wheelchair event is scheduled to begin at 7.30 pm and will see the two athletes starting at opposites sides of the track in a cycling style pursuit race.

Paralympics New Zealand Executive Director John Hughes says "this increasingly popular style of event provides spectators the opportunity to witness the unique skills, and speed, required to compete at the highest level of wheelchair racing."

For further information contact:
John Hughes, Paralympics New Zealand - Mobile (025) 548 845