Junichi Kawai | Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame
The Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame welcomed five new members on Friday (9 September) during an induction ceremony at the Grand Mercure Hotel in Rio.
Athletes Junichi Kawai, Chantal Petitclerc, Franz Nietlispach and the late Neroli Susan Fairhall, along with coach inductee Martin Morse, were honoured at the ceremony on the second day of sporting competition of the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
It took place in front of more than 125 attendees, the biggest attendance since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 2006.
Launched in 2006, by founding partner Visa, the Paralympic Hall of Fame aims to recognise retired athletes and coaches who have a track record of excellent athletic performance, history of fair play and participation in community activities.
With this year’s induction coinciding with the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, only athletes and coaches involved in summer sports were considered.
The #Rio2016 Paralympic Games are being held from 7-18 September 2016. Around 4,350 athletes from more than 160 countries will travel to Rio to compete in 528 medal events in 22 different sports.
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