Athens Takes the Lead: No Entry Fee for Participants

Athens 2004 will be the first Paralympic Games at which participating athletes and officials will not be required to pay an entry fee. IPC Chief Operating Officer Thomas Reinecke comments on the financial implications.

 The Paralympian: Why has the entry fee been an issue for the Paralympic Games in the past?

Thomas Reinecke: Because of limited resources for hosting the Paralympic Games, it was necessary in the past for participating national delegations, including athletes and officials, to pay entry fees. The fees were used to offset the cost of services provided and to ensure the quality of the Games. In 1995 for instance, the IPC approved the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee’s (SPOC) proposal to levy an entry fee for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games in order to secure the highest level of service for the athletes. 

Now this became a sore point for Sydney 2000, because Paralympic athletes were not getting the same treatment as Olympic athletes, who were not required to pay an entry fee. The IPC did what was within its means—appealing to the Australian Government for a waiver of the entry fee and enabling the participation of its most needy member nations through its limited Solidarity Funding. 

The Australian Government did eventually cover the entry fees for the Australian team, but many other athletes had to fork out the A$1,085 (about US$700) entry fee, as well as cover their travel expenses. In addition, the Australian Government contributed A$100,000 to the IPC Solidarity Fund to help the poorest participating nations with the entry fee. So they were certainly not happy about this differential treatment between Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

TP: What does the waiving of entry fees for Athens 2004 mean for the IPC and its member nations? 

TR: The waiving of entry fees is a tremendous help for the nations. A country with a large delegation of about 400, say, Germany or the United States, will save about US$350,000 to US$450,000 for the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games. For the more needy countries, such as those in the African region, the savings mean more than in just monetary terms. These are also countries in which Paralympic sport is just starting to grow and for whom it may be difficult obtaining funds to send even one or two athletes to the Paralympic Games, if at all. For such countries, the waiver of entry fees would enable their participation in the Games and allow them to channel their already tight funds to other needs, such as travel costs and sports equipment. The IPC as an organization would be less stretched in terms of providing Solidarity Funding to bring its most needy members to the Games. Solidarity funds can then be invested in other activities important in the Movement. The waiving of entry fees for Athens is a most positive step in the history of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC has consistently worked to facilitate equal opportunities for athletes. Now we are seeing one aspect of this happen and I hope that Athens 2004 will set the standard for future Games to come.