PARALYMPIC AND PARA SPORTS NEWS

Archery Excites Korea
The city of Cheongju, Korea, was host to the 2007 IPC Archery World Championships, which took place from 2 to 10 October.

Podi Promotes Paralympics
Yesterday, Podi, the Petro-Canada Paralympic Schools Programme mascot was unveiled at General Gordon Elementary School in Vancouver, Canada. The mascot was joined by Paralympic athletes and other special guests who tried their hand at Ice Sledge Hockey, Goalball and Wheelchair Basketball.

IPC Athletes' Council Met at Lake Thun
Last weekend, Gunten at Lake Thun in Switzerland was the meeting place for the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council.

IPC and UK Sport Partner for Paralympic Development
On the occasion of the Next Step Conference in Windhoek, Namibia, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Sir Philip Craven and UK Sport Chief Executive Officer John Steele signed a partnership agreement to continue to support the development of the Paralympic Movement through the Organizational Development Initiative (ODI), a long-term strategic investment in those organizations and their key people responsible for the delivery of sustainable and effective Paralympic sport from the grassroots to the elite level worldwide.

Second Project Review for London 2012
From 26 to 27 September, the second Project Review for the London 2012 Paralympic Games took place in London, Great Britain.

Anti-Doping Rule Violation of Two Ukrainian Athletes
Bonn, Germany - The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced today that two Ukrainian athletes in the sport of Powerlifting, tested positive for a Prohibited Substance and a sanction of two years ineligibility was imposed for their first doping offence.

Vancouver 2010 Launched Online Education Tool
On 28 September, the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) launched an online educational tool that reaches out to schools and universities throughout Canada.

Christchurch Prepared for IPC Site Inspection
Last week, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) conducted its first site inspection visit to one of the two bid cities for the 2010 IPC Athletics World Championships.

Broadcasting Agreements for Paralympic Games Signed
On 25 September, the Beijing 2008 Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (BOCOG) and Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co. Ltd (BOB) signed the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Broadcasting Agreements with China Central Television (CCTV) and Beijing Television (BTV). BOCOG Executive Vice-President Jiang Xiaoyu and BOB General Manager Manolo Romero were present at the signing ceremony in Beijing, China.

Next Step Conference Promotes Young Leaders in Sport
The Next Step 2007 Conference, hosted by UK Sport and the Namibian Government, took place from 19 to 22 September in Windhoek, Namibia.