Arafura Conference Headlines Women in Sport

The Arafura Games International Sports Conference heralded Women in Sport in Darwin, Australia, over the weekend from 9-10 May. 13 May 2009 By IPC

The conference held three streams as programme cornerstones, one of which incorporated the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Women in Sport Summit. Called the “Paralympic Sport Stream”, the conference provided development opportunities to athletes, administrators, coaches and officials. Taking place at the Darwin Convention Centre, attendees at the conference had the chance to share knowledge, exchange information and learn about the current issues which are relevant to their respective sport.

Tine Rindum Teilmann, chairperson of the IPC Women in Sport Committee, was the keynote speaker on the first day, giving a 45 minute address about Paralympic Sport and the growth of the Paralympic Movement. Ms. Teilmann addressed the audience on female participation in sport and sports leadership, and spoke on how to increase the awareness of female participation and increase the opportunities for women in leadership inside the Movement.

President of the Oceania Paralympic Committee (OPC) Paul Bird spoke in the afternoon, giving an introduction to the audience on classification for developing National Paralympic Committees (NPCs). He was joined by panel member Dr. Jagdish Maharaj, Board Member of the OPC.

Brendan Keogh, Head Coach of Australia’s Paralympic Swimming Team, also presented at the conference. Mr. Keogh focussed on women in Paralympic Swimming and the experiences he has had over the past few years in the sport.

The conference ended the day with a final Paralympic Sport Stream in the form of a panel discussion. The panel comprised athletes, coaches and administrators, focusing on Women in Paralympic Sport.

The two other streams at the conference were for Sport Science and Sport and Development. Topics discussed in these areas included aid initiatives in Sport and Development, the new World Anti-Doping Code (WADC) and Sports Nutrition.

For more information about the Arafura Games International Sports Conference, please visit www.arafuragames.nt.gov.au.