IPC to Take Part in UN Day Activity in Bonn

Members of the public visiting UN Day activity in Bonn city centre this Saturday (23 October) will be given the chance to experience first-hand what it’s like to take part in Wheelchair Basketball.

As part of the theme of the day, which focuses on ‘Sport and Development’, the Bonn based International Paralympic Committee will be erecting a purpose built basketball court in Munsterplatz and ASV Bonn youth players will play a number of demonstration games.

Members of the public impressed by the speed and agility of the basketball players will also be invited to take part themselves and shoot some baskets.

In addition to the basketball activity, three German couples - two of which will be taking part in next month’s IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships - will demonstrate the elegance, style and rhythm which is synonymous with the sport.

Xavier Gonzalez, the IPC’s Chief Executive Officer said: “As a Bonn based organization we are delighted to be involved in UN Day for what should be a fantastic event for the public to enjoy in the city centre.

“To take part in Wheelchair Basketball will be a great experience for all those who get involved but to see some of the best Wheelchair dancers in the world will also be a highlight, especially when you consider the growing popularity of the sport.”

Next month’s IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships in Hannover, Germany, on 6 and 7 November will be the biggest yet with more than 160 athletes from 22 countries competing in the sold-out event.

On the eve of UN Day, Willi Lemke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General on Sport for Development and Peace, will pay a visit to the IPC Headquarters on Adenauerallee before taking part in the Bonn UN Talks.

The theme of the talks is “The United Nations and Sports: Joining Forces for the Millennium Development Goals” and Georg Schlachtenberger, the IPC’s Chief Operational Officer will attend.

UN Day in Bonn is an annual event celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and other international organizations, federal ministries and institutes will be present together with the IPC at Munsterplatz.