Russian Festival Promotes Paralympic Sport

10 Sep 2010 By IPC

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee underlined its commitment to equality in sport during the second Equal Chances Sport Festival at the Dynamo Palace of Sports yesterday in Krylatskoye, Russia.

Located just outside the city limits of Moscow, the festival was organized by the "Edinaya Strana" (United Country) Foundation, which was established by Russian Paralympians. The foundation aims to support people with a disability participating in sport.

More than 300 children and teenagers took part in the Equal Chances Sport Festival, where they watched Russian Paralympians demonstrate their skills in Paralympic Sport. Participants also took part in various competitions themselves, as well as in master classes run by the Paralympic athletes.

The festival opened with presentations by Russian Paralympic athletes in Athletics, Biathlon, Boccia, Wheelchair Dance Sport and Wheelchair Fencing. This was followed by an Equal Chances Relay, which featured actors, political figures and athletes participating together with athletes with a disability.

The festival also included a photo exhibition entitled "Win by overcoming your difficulties." The exhibition celebrated the achievements of the Russian Paralympic Team at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games.

Some of the guests at the festival included President of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Russian Federation Commissioner for Human Rights Vladimir Lukin, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko, Paralympian Mikhail Terentiev, Paralympian and Ambassador of Sochi 2014 Sergey Shilov and Chief Trainer of the Russian Paralympic Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing Teams Irina Gromova.

President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko said: "The Paralympic Games are an opportunity to draw attention to people with a disability and to ensure that they have equal rights and quality of life. In Sochi we are creating a model of the town of the future, where all people will be able to access every possible opportunity."

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games will take place from 7-16 March 2014.