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Para-cycling in Jeopardy of Inclusion at 2020 Paralympic Games

by John Symon

October 07, 2014 (Berlin, Germany) – Para-cycling is not one of the first 16 sports revealed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and might not be on the program at the Games.

“At a meeting in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday (7 October), the IPC Governing Board approved the first 16 sports for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games sports programme, including badminton which will make its Paralympic debut in six years’ time,” reads part of a media release.

“The Board also deferred a final decision until its next meeting in late January on the remaining eight sports that aim to be part of the Games. This is so that the sports in question provide additional information to the IPC addressing issues identified following an extensive management review process of the applications which started in late July.”

“The 16 sports approved so far by the IPC Governing Board to be part of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games are: athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, equestrian, goalball, power lifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.”

The UCI was apparently slow in getting the paperwork done and submitted on time resulting in paracycling’s absence. “The UCI only submitted its application late last week. As a result there was insufficient time for it to be assessed in time for the meeting in Berlin. The IPC management team will now assess the application, identifying any issues they may have with it, before the Governing Board discuss it at January’s meeting,” notes the release.

Paracycling will now have to elbow it out with seven other sports for a chance to be included later: “The eight sports that the IPC Governing Board will make a final decision upon when it next meets in Abu Dhabi, UAE, between 30 January and 1 February 2015, are: canoe, cycling, football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, judo, taekwondo, sailing and wheelchair fencing.”

Read more here.
Guardian report here.





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