WITH just under 200 days to go until the Paralympic Games, British Ambassador Stephen Lillie expressed his excitement in welcoming Filipino Paralympians to London in August. “We are delighted to welcome Paralympic athletes from all over the world, including the Philippines,” said Ambassador Lillie. “These athletes will experience the most inclusive and accessible games ever when they compete in London. All the games venues have been designed in consultation with differently-abled people to ensure they are accessible for all.” He added: “I have personally met some of the Filipino Paralympians, including bronze Paralympic medalist Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta, and they are shining examples of how differently-abled people can lead independent, productive lives and become respected members of their community.” The word “ Para” means alongside so the events for the disabled athletes will be held parallel to the Olympic games. Incidentally, the idea for the Paralympic games came from a sports event for soldiers injured in World War II organized in 1948 by German neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, England. As Ambassador Lillie noted, what makes the London 2012 games particularly special is that Paralympics are returning to the country that established what was later recognized as the Paralympic movement. The growth of the Paralympic movement over the last 50 years has been phenomenal. The London 2012 Paralympic games will be held from August 29 until September 9 with 20 Paralympic sports, 21 disciplines and 471 events spread over 20 competition venues. About 4,200 athletes from 163 competing nations will participate and an estimated 2 million people are expected to come and watch the events. For their part, the Filipino Paralympic aspirants are preparing to pit themselves against the best in the world by undergoing an elite training program and competing in international events. Most recently, PhilSPADA-National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (PhilSPADA-NPC) fielded two cyclists for the 1st Asia Para Cycling Championships Road 2012 held in Malaysia on February 6 and 7, both of whom brought glory to their country by winning three medals. Arthus Bucay grabbed the top spot in the Road Race Men’s Class C2 and C3, earning two gold medals while Godfrey Taberna bagged a silver medal in the Rod Race Men’s Class C4. PhilSPADA-NPC Chairman Michael Barredo is looking forward to their athletes competing at the highest possible level. He expects five to eight athletes to qualify for the games in August and is optimistic about the Philippines’ chances to win a gold medal. “We are aspiring to have our first gold medal for our Paralympians. I think our cyclists and our power lifters have a good chance of getting a medal, although it’s very difficult to predict. The Paralympics is the highest level of competition for athletes with disabilities. The goal is certainly elusive but it’s something for our athletes to work hard for,” he said. The athletes are raring to compete in London, which spells a homecoming of sorts for the Paralympics. “We’re looking forward to going where the roots of Paralympic games did come about. That was more than 60 years ago. Knowing how the Brits run these kinds of games, I can expect it to be so professional, so high-level yet when British humor is added to the mix, that’s when it really gets fun. It promises to be a very enjoyable two weeks in London,” Barredo concluded. London 2012 is the first games where the planning and organization of the Olympics and Paralympics have been fully integrated. Disability access has been incorporated into the design and structure of the buildings, open spaces and public transport. This includes the stadium, wider park and live sites, which are event spaces in urban centers offering live games information on big screens. Source:- http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/life-and-times/17151-london-awaits-filipino-paralympians
