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Unlocking
New Energies
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After being involved in International Wheelchair Basketball as an athlete, administrator and leader for more than 30 years, I am looking forward to the broader scope of my responsibilities as President of the IPC. They will include serving all Paralympic sports, IPC member nations, the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games and all other member organizations of the wider Paralympic family.
The IPC General Assembly expressed its trust in me to lead the IPC for the next four years and I would like to thank everybody for their confidence. One of my major goals as IPC President for the future is to ensure the high standard of the Paralympic Games, to protect their genuine character and to secure their organization in a spirit comparable to the example set by the Sydney Games in 2000.
Despite the many successes Paralympic sport was able to experience in the past decade, the IPC has to move forward with several issues that demand particular attention.
Firstly, we will initiate a strategic plan for the IPC with short-, middle- and long term objectives. The new IPC Executive Committee has already started to determine the terms of reference and we have committed ourselves to deliver this plan to our members by the end of next year.
Our relationship with the IOC will be crucial for the future of the Paralympic Games. The constructive partnership between the two organizations, which has been established by my predecessor Dr. Robert Steadward, will be the basis for closer cooperation in fields such as the organization of the Paralympic Games and marketing.
From a general policy perspective, the participation of athletes requiring greater opportunities and of our women athletes is an essential concern. Their representation in elite sport needs to be considerably increased in order to secure a well-balanced Paralympic programme.
However, our focus for the next months will be the upcoming Winter Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. We were finally able to secure live television signals, which I consider a tremendous asset for the Games. Broadcasters will have access to multi-camera coverage of all sports and thus we have the opportunity to showcase the Games not only to the spectators in Utah, but to a worldwide television audience.
I am looking forward to a fruitful cooperation with the IPC Executive Committee, all other IPC standing committees, the NPCs, and most importantly with the Paralympic athletes. We are a sporting organization and thus the athletes are the core of the IPC. Our main focus has to be on delivering them the best sporting opportunities possible.
Philip Craven
IPC President |
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