TOKYO, Japan -- Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), has claimed discussions to introduce events for Deaf athletes into the Paralympics are ongoing and could be successful by the time of the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
But the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) claimed that they had been led to believe that no such process was currently underway. "It is an objective to get some events for Deaf athletes into the Paralympics," Sir Philip said. "There has been communication about events being brought back [and] discussions will be ongoing."
Sir Philip highlighted a meeting he had with the new President of the ICSD, Russian Valery Rukhledev, during the International Olympic Committee's annual Session in Buenos Aires last month to illustrate that talks were underway.
"There will be a minimum of seven years of discussions, so it is not something likely for 2016 but it could be in future years," said Sir Philip. But Mark Cooper, chief executive of the ICSD, claimed that they had not been informed of any roadmap that would see them make their debut in the Paralympics at Tokyo 2020.
"ICSD has never been given a minimum amount of time for membership by the IPC," he told insidethegames. "In broad terms we asked before London 2012 about adding events for Deaf athletes and were told then that there was not enough time to do so.
"We asked what the procedure currently was and were told that no procedure was currently in place and that we should await further clarification from the IPC."
Although originally forming part of what was then know as the International Co-ordination Committee of World Sports Organisations for the Disabled (ICC) Deaf events broke away in 1996 following the formation of the IPC in 1989.
Cooper remained adamant that if Deaf events were returned to the Paralympics then it would still not spell the end for the Deaflympics - which were first held in Paris in 1924 so 36 years before the inaugural Paralympics at Rome in 1960. But he conceded "it has since become clear that the Paralympic Games has garnered a lot of attention and a higher profile".
The Deaflympics in Sofia, Bulgaria this year enjoyed far less media attention than the Paralympic events at the Anniversary Games athletics in London, for example... Read The Full Story.
IPC Statement regarding Deaf sports and the Paralympic Games:
We note an incorrect report quoting IPC President Sir Philip Craven saying “It is an objective to get some events for Deaf athletes into the Paralympics,” in a story that claims Deaf athletes could compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Sir Philip Craven did not say this and had been misquoted.
What Sir Philip Craven in fact was referring to is that it is an objective of the ICSD (International Committee of Sports for the Deaf) to get some events for Deaf athletes into the Paralympics.
The IPC President also did not say that Deaf athletes could compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as the headline suggests... Read The Full Story.
