Author: Editor Prime

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have been pleased to see the weather getting warmer in the UK over the last week. This has helped me get out and exercise a lot more easier. The past three months have been cold, wet and dark and this has certainly dampened my spirit. I have been thankful for those moments where I get to see friends and family albeit virtually. Having a focus on wheelchair rugby has also provided me with the much-needed mental challenge that the daily business of an International Federation provides.

I will also hopefully see the country opening up in the next few months although this will be very reliant on receiving positive data in terms of infection and hospitalisation rates continuing to decrease. This is of course very different for many other countries and I wish you all the best as you deal with your local situation.

In terms of competition, one of our long-standing events Canada Cup has had to be cancelled. Our European Championship Division B in Poland continues to work through the many challenges and I’d like to thank all involved for their huge efforts in trying to make this happen.

Tokyo 2020 continue their plans and I’m pleased to see that the playbooks that outline Covid-19 countermeasures are not dissimilar to the “Return to Competition” models that the IWRF have developed.

A large portion of the work that I have been looking at over the last few months relates to our governance review and our vision of being a world leader in Para sport. Of course, this has included many other people. In particular, expertise from an independent consultant as well as ensuring we have sound legal advice throughout the development of various documents. The outcomes of this will ultimately come to fruition at the General Assembly.

The IWRF Board were very aware that this was postponed from 2020 and I’m pleased to announce that we will be hosting a virtual GA on July 17th (18:00 UTC). Perhaps more importantly are the two membership conference calls that we have planned for 29th March and 23rd June (9am & 9pm UTC). The first one will be a full consultation and the opportunity to understand any proposed changes with the second providing final clarity and any last questions. The intention is to ensure that the membership can enter the GA with a full understanding and support of any proposed motions.

More detailed information will be sent directly to Member Nations.

Good luck with whatever your personal circumstances are and I hope you can continue to stay safe and healthy.

Kind Regards

Richard
IWRF President

Many of you are thinking about planning your local leagues, championship events and other tournaments.  Given the Competitions Committee has adapted the qualification calendar to respond to the change in the 2020 Paralympics and Covid-19 impact we wanted to provide you with an overview of the upcoming event dates.  Please note these dates are currently what we know now and may change due to extenuating circumstances.

2021 IWRF European Championship Division B Poland – June 27 – July 5

2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games – August 24 – Sept 5, 2021

2021 Mazovia Cup – October 13 – 17 October

2022 IWRF Americas Championship – Colombia, January 26 – 31

2022 IWRF Asia Oceania Championship – New Zealand, April 24 – May 2

2022 IWRF European Championship Division A – February 21 – 27 February 

2022 World Games – Low Point Tournament, USA –

2022 IWRF European Championship Division C – TBD Proposed time frame to host is July- August 

2022 IWRF World Championships, Denmark – Oct 8 – 17th 

2023 IWRF European Championship Division B – TBD- Proposed time frame to host is Feb-March 

2023 IWRF Americas Regional Championship – Proposed time frame to host is February – March 

2023 IWRF Asia Oceania Championship – Proposed time frame to host is September – October 

2023 IWRF European Championship Divisions A – TBD  – Proposed time frame to host is June – August 2023 (Note: we do have interest to host in June 

2023 International Wheelchair Rugby Challenge, France – Oct 6 – 13th

2023 Parapan Am Games – IWRF Americas Championship, Chile – November 17 – 26

2024 IWRF Paralympic Qualifier – TBD – Proposed time frame to host is March

2024 Paralympic Games – August

Call for bids

The Competitions Committee is announcing the call for bids to host the IWRF 2023 European Championship – Division A.  You will find the bid documents at this link https://www.iwrf.com/index.php?page=rules_and_documents&cat=59

Plans are to announce other bids in the near future.  Please start to think about your hosting plans to ensure you are able to respond on a timely basis to the bid requests.  Refer to the events calendar in this newsletter for proposed event hosting dates.

There are many benefits to hosting that will help your organization build and develop your wheelchair rugby programs in your nation.  If you have any questions please contact us, as we are happy to provide support.

New information in the bid documents is included around event branding and signage so be sure to check it out.  A copy of the new IWRF Logo, Branding and Partnership Guidelines can be found at:

https://www.iwrf.com/resources/iwrf_docs/210118_IWRF_Logo_Branding_and_Partnership_Guideline_Circ.pdf

Many of you are familiar with the term Technical Commissioner. It has been an officiating role in the IWRF for almost two decades. In that time the role has evolved to become one that requires exceptional knowledge, focus, patience, nuance and a high standard of communication. These officials are critically important to the operation of the game and an essential part on every officiating crew they are a part of.

In order to accurately reflect this evolution, and highlight the essential part these officials play in the delivery of each game, the IWRF has re-titled the role. Moving forward, these officials will fall under the title Game Commissioner.  

In recent years, the role of Game Commissioner (GC) has been established as an important functional role in the smooth operation of the entire game. Early on, the primary function of the GC was to support the operation of the score table. Although score table management remains an aspect of the role, there is far more emphasis on the GC to act as line of defense, sounding board and confidant for the referees on court. Another critical role of the GC is in the area of game management. A skilled GC will act as a connection point for coaches, solve problems before they need to be escalated to the referee and relay key pieces of information that allow game to run smoothly. Rules knowledge is another critical aspect of this position. A GC who is equipped with a deep knowledge of the rules will be able to answer questions effectively, support the official with correctable errors that may occur and provide essential input should a decision review arise. The GC is a referee’s best kept secret and a coach’s best resource. Over the course of a tournament the GC can also influence continuity by creating a common thread that establishes consistency from one game to the next for the entire officiating crew. Including the GC in the pre-game allows them relay critical information from past games.  

If this role sounds like the officiating path for you, the Technical Committee is always looking for capable people. There are many paths to becoming a Game Commissioner. If you have a strong back ground in the rules and work actively in your country as a referee or table official this is a great path to pursue. Many Game Commissioners are also retired on court officials and even former athletes. It is a very inclusive role within the officiating structure. The key skills and role requirements include;

• Be a team player – work closely with the on court crew, evaluator team and head official
• Have a minimum of 24 moths experience as a referee or table official within your domestic event structure
• Be actively engaged in training and mentorship with an experienced GC or IWRF Evaluator
• Receive a recommendation from your countries Head Official along with your application to attend an IWRF event
• To become certified you must receive two positive evaluations at IWRF events

Connecting with your IWRF Zone Head Official, a Game Commissioner in your area or any member of the Technical Commission is the best way to get involved. For more details on the role, please visit Game Commissioner Manual and read through the IWRF Game Commissioner training manual.
 
Kevin Bowie
Head of Communications, Technical Commission

The Classification Committee would like to thank those Member Nations and Classifiers who took the time to provide feedback on the new IWRF Classification Rules and the IWRF Classifier Handbook.  In response to your feedback, we have corrected some typographical errors and made some minor additions as points of clarification to some articles where there was ambiguity.  We appreciate that these are both extremely large documents, and over time, we will no doubt continue to make minor improvements to improve clarity, consistency and correct any other minor spelling or formatting errors that we discover. 

Thank you for your patience with us as we developed these two new documents over the last 2.5 years.  I am sure you can appreciate that it was a mammoth undertaking for us, and I can’t thank Anne Hart enough for doing much of the heavy lifting on this task.  Thanks also to members of the Classification Committee for their guidance and wisdom in navigating a variety of issues along the way.

The finalised versions of both documents are now available at International Wheelchair Rugby Federation: Classification.  If Member Nations wish to produce non-English language versions of these documents, you are welcome to do so.  However, the English versions will remain the only official versions of these documents endorsed by the IWRF.

Medical Diagnostic Information Requirements

We have received a number of queries regarding our new requirements around mandatory medical diagnostic information for athletes.  The IPC Classification Code requires us to confirm that athletes have a permanent, verifiable health condition that results in an eligible impairment, as defined in our IWRF Classification Rules.  We perform this verification by examining medical diagnostic information submitted by athletes.

To streamline this process, we have created 2 new forms that will need to be completed when submitting the required information.  These forms are:

• IWRF Medical Diagnostic Form
• IWRF Medical Review Request Form

IWRF Medical Diagnostic Form

This form is required for all New (N) athletes and must be received by the IWRF Head of Classification a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the event where the athlete is to be classified for the first time.  This form must be completed by a registered medical doctor, with a specialisation in the athlete’s health condition (where possible).  The form must also be accompanied by medical documentation that confirms the presence of the athlete’s health condition.  The form provides guidance regarding the types of medical evidence that are acceptable for each impairment type.  The form must be completed in English, and any accompanying medical documentation must also be in English or have a verified English translation.

IWRF Medical Review Request Form

This form is required for athletes who have sport class statuses of Confirmed (C), Review (R) or Fixed Review Date (FRD) and wish to be re-classified due to a change in circumstances with respect to their health condition.  This may be necessary, for example, if an athlete:

• Received treatment which may change their impairment profile (e.g., Botox injections, tendon releases, amputation)
• Has an impairment that is progressive and/or has changed to an extent that the athlete most likely does not fit his/her current sport class profile any more
• Has a new additional eligible health condition that has resulted in a permanent change to the athlete’s degree of impairment to an extent that the athlete most likely does not fit his/her current sport class profile anymore.

This form must be received by the IWRF Head of Classification a minimum of 12 weeks prior to the competition where the athlete, if the medical review is accepted, will undergo re-evaluation.  The change in impairment must be demonstrated by medical documentation.  Any included medical documentation must be in English or be accompanied by a verified English translation.  This form also requires endorsement by the athlete’s NMO or NPC.  If Medical Review is accepted, the athlete’s sport class status will be changed to Review (R) with immediate effect.

Submission of Medical Information

Submission of medical forms and documentation will be via a secure online upload system.  Emailed information will not be accepted due to the fact that email systems are not considered to be secure, and therefore are not suitable for sending sensitive athlete medical information to the IWRF.  Details of the online submission system are still being finalised by the IWRF and will be available on the Classification web page at IWRF.com in due course.

Retention of Medical Information by the IWRF

The IWRF will retain the submitted medical documentation until the end of the event where the athlete is classified for the first time, or the athlete’s medical review occurs.  At the end of the event, the athlete’s Classification Database file will be updated to reflect that the medical documentation received was accepted and met the IWRF’s requirements in terms of confirming that the athlete has an eligible health condition and impairment type.  At this time, all submitted documentation will be securely destroyed.

There may be situations where Classification Panels request to see an athlete’s medical diagnostic information in order to assist them in allocating a sport class.  With this in mind, the IWRF strongly recommends that athletes retain copies of any medical information submitted during the processes outlined in this article, and have them readily available, should they be required again in the future.

The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) unveiled the updated programme for the “Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival” in 2021; this has been revised in light of the need for COVID-19 countermeasures and the simplified management of the Games. The Festival, an official cultural programme of the Tokyo 2020 Games, will be held from April to September 2021. The revised content will follow the original themes of the programme planned for 2020: “Participation and Interaction”, “Towards the Realisation of an Inclusive Society” and “Reconstruction of the Tohoku Region”. In principle, the events will be streamed live over the internet so that as many people as possible across Japan and around the world can participate in and enjoy the events.

Based on the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter, Olympism—a concept underpinning the NIPPON Festival—seeks to blend sport with culture and education in order to promote a peaceful way of life based on the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. For this reason, as well as being a sports festival, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are known as a “festival of peace”.

The cultural and artistic elements of the NIPPON Festival are designed to inspire people, and in the wake of the social fragmentation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme aims to be a symbol of human solidarity that will transcend boundaries and encourage global cooperation.

An overview of each programme is provided below. The Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival official website (https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/festival/) will be updated as details of all programmes are firmed up.

In addition to programmes organised by Tokyo 2020, co-hosted Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival events will be staged in collaboration with local governments and cultural- or arts groups across Japan; these aim to encourage greater awareness of diversity in the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Games. They will also showcase Japanese culture and art across Japan and globally before and during the Games. Details of the updated co-hosted programmes are also provided in the attached appendix and via the Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival official website at https://tokyo2020.org/en/special/festival/.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) invites stakeholders to “save the date” on 9 April to celebrate Play True Day 2021.

Since 2014, in April of every year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the anti-doping community worldwide have celebrated ‘Play True Day’ — a day that is dedicated to Clean Sport and is intended to raise awareness among athletes, the sporting public and others about the importance of protecting Clean Sport.
 
The inspiration for Play True Day stems from a WADA-hosted Education Conference in 2013, which was attended by 17 South American countries. While the celebration started as a small South American initiative, last year, the Agency’s digital and social media campaign reached over 50 million people worldwide with numerous individuals and organizations taking part from around the globe.

This year’s theme is “What does Play True mean to you?”. Therefore, we invite athletes, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, Sports Federations, Governments, Major Event Organizers and other anti-doping stakeholders from around the world to join the Agency’s social media campaign on 9 April 2021 and let us know.

Similar to previous years, WADA will be providing branded ‘Play True Day’ visuals that can be used by stakeholders as part of their social media campaigns. However, participants are also encouraged to:

• innovate by creating personalized what does Play True mean to you? visuals based on their specific country, language and/or sport;
• use hashtags #PlayTrue and #PlayTrueDay both in the lead-up to and on the day in order to extend the reach and impact of the campaign on social media; and
• follow the campaign in real time via our dedicated Play True Day social media wall on WADA’s website.

Should you have any queries or if you would like to inform WADA of your planned Play True Day social media efforts, please contact Patrick Handfield, Digital Communications Consultant/Webmaster at: patrick.handfield@wada-ama.org.

Finally, as an anti-doping community stakeholder, we would kindly ask you to ensure that this message is conveyed on to the relevant persons within your organization that would like to participate in the campaign.

Thank you and best regards,
 
World Anti-Doping Agency

On International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Government of Japan and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) are reiterating their commitment to make the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer a landmark in gender equality on and off the field of play, paving the way for a more equal and inclusive society.

At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020:

• Almost 49 per cent of the athletes participating will be women, according to the IOC quota allocation. These will be the first gender-balanced Games in history.
• There will be a ground-breaking competition schedule. ensuring equal visibility between women’s and men’s events and featuring nine more mixed events than at Rio 2016, raising the overall number to 18.
• For the first time ever, all 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) should have at least one female and one male athlete in their respective Olympic teams.
• All 206 NOCs and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will be encouraged to have their flag carried by one female and one male athlete at the Opening Ceremony.

At the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020:

• At least 40.5 per cent of all the athletes will be women, according to the IPC Qualification Criteria. This equates to 1,782 athletes, an increase on the 1,671 women who competed at Rio 2016 (38.6 per cent).
• At the Opening Ceremony, all the competing National Paralympic Committees will also be encouraged to have their flag carried by one female and one male athlete.

Following the appointment of its new President, HASHIMOTO Seiko, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has increased the size of its Executive Board, bringing the percentage of women to 42 per cent. It has also created a Gender Equality Promotion Team under the leadership of its Sports Director, KOTANI Mikako, in order to further promote gender and inclusion initiatives during the Games.

“The IOC is committed to gender equality in all areas, from the athletes competing on and off the field of play to leadership roles in sports organisations,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “With only four months to go until the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Olympic Movement is getting ready for a new milestone in its efforts to create a gender-equal sporting world – the first gender-balanced Olympic Games in history.”

“Inclusion is at the core of everything the IPC does,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons.

“We are constantly striving with our members to increase female participation at all levels of the Paralympic Movement, from athletes to administrators, from coaches to Board members. Tokyo 2020 is on course to have more female athletes compete than any previous Paralympic Games. In less than a decade, we will have increased the number of women competing at the Paralympics by at least 18.7 per cent compared to London 2012. Despite this progress we will not rest on our laurels, and we will continue to work hard with our members to increase women’s participation at all future Games until we reach gender equality.”

“Tokyo 2020 upholds ‘Unity in Diversity’ as an important concept of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It has been making various efforts for this purpose together with the IOC, IPC, TMG and the Government of Japan. Currently, the Gender Equality Promotion Team is actively working to put together possible further action, including proposals for leaving a lasting legacy after the Games. We resolve to make the Tokyo 2020 Games considered as a turning point in history when looking back many years later,” said Tokyo 2020 President HASHIMOTO Seiko.

“Participation of both women and men in all fields, and the active participation of women will lead to the creation of a prosperous, vibrant and sustainable society and the realisation of a society in which everyone can live comfortably,” said Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, Minister in charge of Women’s Empowerment and Minister of State for Gender Equality MARUKAWA Tamayo. “To re-acknowledge the importance of unity in diversity throughout the world and to make the Tokyo Games an opportunity to develop a harmonious and inclusive society, the Government of Japan, together with the IOC, IPC, TMG and the Tokyo Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, will pledge to make the Tokyo Games the all-time best in terms of gender equality; promote gender equality in the field of sport; and support women affected largely by the pandemic.”

KOIKE Yuriko, the Governor of Tokyo, said: “The Tokyo 2020 Games uphold ‘Unity in Diversity’ as one of the primary concepts. The TMG has also been engaging in fostering the public’s awareness towards human rights by enacting the ‘Ordinance aiming for realisation of the concept of respect for human rights as stipulated in the Olympic Charter’. Furthermore, the promotion of women’s active participation in society is positioned as one of the vital tasks of the TMG, and we are determined to continue to work on various measures extensively. We would like to make these Games an opportunity for the concepts of diversity and respect for human rights to take further root in society. We will make this a legacy and build a better future based on it. The TMG, together with the IOC, IPC, Japanese Government and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, will aim to realise Games with the concept of unity in diversity.”

On this day as the world collectively raises its voice towards gender equality, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is lifting up three notable leaders who have done just that to earn the 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition awards.

Kate Caithness of World Curling Federation (Builder category), Iranian Para archer Zahra Nemati (Next Generation Leader category) and World Para Powerlifting (National Paralympic Committee/International Federation category) were named this year’s winners.

The annual recognition, which coincides on 8 March’s International Women’s Day, celebrates primarily women in the Paralympic Movement who have inspired and emulated the Paralympic ideals and are positive role models.

This is the second year the IPC International Women’s Day Recognition has expanded into categories since its inception in 2013. The winners were decided by the IPC’s Women in Sport Committee, chaired by Rita van Driel, who said:

“For 18 years now, one of the central aims of the IPC Women in Sport Committee has been to work to increase the number of women in leadership positions across the Paralympic Movement. Our International Women’s Day Recognition awards are a celebration of those who are breaking down barriers and opening up new opportunities for athletes, coaches, administrators and executives in Para sport.

“The Committee was thrilled with the standard of entries this year and we would like to thank everyone who entered. It’s incredibly important that we find out more about those making a difference and celebrate the best practice taking place. One thing is for certain, our winners today are flag bearers for women in the Paralympic Movement. There is so much to learn from Kate Caithness, Zahra Nemati and World Para Powerlifting. And the more we can identify and harness successes like theirs, the more we will increase the number of women in leadership positions and make our Movement even more diverse.“

KATE CAITHNESS – BUILDER

Caithness has served as World Curling Federation’s President since 2010 and concludes her term after the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. She is one three female International Federation presidents and has worked to develop wheelchair curling even before her presidency. From first holding try-out sessions in Scotland to playing a central part in the sport’s first World Championships in 2002, Caithness saw her efforts pay off when wheelchair curling made its Paralympic debut at Torino 2006.

Caithness said: “I’m stunned to get this. I actually didn’t know I had been put forward until I saw the shortlist. And when I saw the people that were on that, I thought, ‘Oh wow, well at least it’s nice to be considered’.”

“It’s a great honour for wheelchair curling, a sport in which we have gender equality across the board. It’s also the sport that got me where I am to be honest. Wheelchair curling is a big part of my history within World Curling Federation. I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured to be given this recognition.”

Locally, she helped form the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association and moved on to join World Curling Federation as project leader to develop the Para sport. Her latest achievement as President includes supporting efforts to include wheelchair mixed doubles into Milan Cortina 2026. It 2013 Caithness was given an OBE, a British order of chivalry, for ‘Services to Curling and International Disability Sport’.

ZAHRA NEMATI – NEXT GENERATION

Iran’s first gold medallist at a Paralympic or Olympics has used her platform to be an activist for women and people with disabilities in her home country. Since making history at the London 2012 Paralympics, Nemati has been on the forefront of showing what women with an impairment can achieve as she continued collecting Paralympic and World Championship medals.

Nemati said: “The Next Generation award to is not only a reason to leap for joy, but it also means I have a huge responsibility to bear on my shoulders. I am now a woman pioneer who is branded by the IPC not only to inspire her peers and contemporary generation, but also to think, speak and act as a role model for the next generation of ladies who will make this planet a better place to live on an equal basis and more inclusivity than ever.”

Nemati also participated at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in May 2018, she was designated as the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambassador by the president of Global Understanding (GU) Regional Action Centre in Iran.

WORLD PARA POWERLIFTING – NPC/IF

For over a decade now, World Para Powerlifting has sought to advance the role of women in every element of their sport. Through collaboration with researchers, studies were conducted analysing the barriers and facilitators of female athletes, technical officials and coaches, which led to the development of dedicated programmes such as ‘She Can Lift’, that was launched to educate and empower women participants to become technical officials and coaches within the sport. Since 2019, “She Can Lift” has engaged and inspired participants from over twenty-five countries in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia.

World Para Powerlifting’s Head of Education and Development Dora Szatmari said: “I hope this recognition can provide more visibility to the initiative and women involved in the sport; more opportunities for NPCs and national sport federations to replicate the initiative at the local level; and more opportunities for other IFs to launch a similar project.”

Representation in World Para Powerlifting’s leadership has also improved from no members who were women on the Sport Technical Committee and Advisory Groups to six. In addition, all of these dedicated efforts have helped increase the number of women practising the sport by 138 per cent since 2009.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2020 – Paulina Malinowska-Kowalczyk (Builder), Maha Bargouthi (Next Generation), and Paralympics Australia (NPC/IF)

2019 – Deepa Malik

2018 – Dr. Hayat Khattab

2017 – Dr. Cheri Blauwet

2016 – Carla Qualtrough

2015 – Chantal Petitclerc

2014 – Rima Batalova

2013 – Sylvana Mestre

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched a Tokyo 2020 anti-doping dedicated webpage (https://www.paralympic.org/anti-doping-tokyo2020) with a summary of key information for National Paralympic Committees, National Anti-Doping Organisations and International Federations ahead of this year’s Paralympic Games.

This new webpage includes information about the IPC Anti-Doping Code, the Tokyo 2020 Doping Control Guidebook and other key pieces of information for Games participants about the anti-doping programme and how it will be conducted.

A number of key dates ahead of the Paralympics are highlighted, along with links to a range of Tokyo 2020 resources, to help ensure athletes and support personnel are prepared in the lead up to (and during) the Games. 

The educational resources include the recently launched ‘ADEL for Tokyo 2020 Paralympics’ e-learning course – a collaboration between the IPC and the World Anti-Doping Agency to educate athletes and coaches participating at the Games. 

Also included are ‘PlayTrue2020’ resources , which provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the doping control procedures. PlayTrue2020 is a legacy project for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, led by the Government of Japan and the Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA) and focussed on promoting sport values.

IPC Anti-Doping Director James Sclater said: “It’s important that the IPC launches this webpage, as we want everyone, from athletes to coaches, NPCs to IFs and medical professionals to support staff, to understand the significance and intricacies of anti-doping – and to arrive at Tokyo 2020 well prepared.

“With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games fast approaching, we need to ensure everyone involved is well-informed and understand their rights and obligations prior to the Games.”

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has released the shortlist for the 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition, with winners to be announced on 8 March’s global celebration of women and gender equality.

This is the second year, since its inception in 2013, the International Women’s Day Recognition has expanded into categories, awarding primarily women in the Paralympic Movement who inspire and emulate the Paralympic ideals, and serve as positive role models.

Five outstanding female candidates each, make up the Builder and Next Generation categories, respectively. Three organisations have been shortlisted for the National Paralympic Committee and International Federation (NPC/IF) category.

The winners will be decided by the IPC’s Women in Sport Committee, chaired by Rita van Driel, who said:

“The 2021 International Women’s Day Recognition supports one of the IPC’s key strategic objectives, which is to promote gender balance in leadership positions across the Paralympic Movement.  I can say without doubt that the 2021 nominations process has been our strongest to date, and we are hugely encouraged by the number of entries which showed women across the Movement breaking down barriers that restrict participation and implementing initiatives that engage more women at all levels and positions in Paralympic sport.”

BUILDER

This category recognises sustained and consistent leadership over a period of time, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport:

Batoul Moshref Javadi – The Deputy of Women Students’ Affairs Across the Country in Iran also serves on NPC Iran’s executive board, shedding light on the abilities and challenges for women. She is also the Vice President of Women Affairs for the Iran Sports Federation for the Disabled.

Kate Caithness CBE – The President of the World Curling Federation is one of the two women International Federation Presidents. Caithness has developed wheelchair curling by running try-out sessions in Scotland, before playing a central part in the introduction of the World Wheelchair Curling Championship in 2002 and eventually wheelchair curling’s place at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games. She was instrumental in the recent introduction of the wheelchair mixed doubles to the Paralympic programme.

Ann Cody – The Paralympic champion currently oversees the International Disability Rights portfolio at the US Department of State, where she works to promote inclusivity and fight discrimination for persons with disabilities globally. She has also held leadership positions at the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, IPC and International Olympic Committee.

Ming-chu Mu – Having served as the President of the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee since 1992, Dr Mu has led the nation to its Paralympic debut at Barcelona 1992 and since, worked towards popularising Para sports at home and increasing women’s participation.

Shaenaz Voss – Through mentoring, Voss has been building a platform for Para sports in Fiji, and her efforts are evident in terms of the growth of women leaders within NPC Fiji, both at executive and operational levels. In her current Presidency role, NPC Fiji has 43 per cent female representation on the Executive Board and is working to elevate female athletes, such as Naibili Vatunisolo, who hopes to be the country’s third female Paralympian.

NEXT GENERATION

This category honours emerging leadership, advocacy, overall contributions and impact promoting and supporting women in sport. Candidates in this category are considered to be in the early stage of their career:

Jenny Ortiz Cardenas – The Colombian is a member of World Para Powerlifting’s Education and Development Advisory Group, a professor at a university, an international technical official and course educator. She supported the creation of a mentorship initiative for women technical official and coaches as well as ‘She Can Lift’.

Fathimath Ibrahim – The Para athlete excels off the tack, volunteering with the Maldivian Red Crescent for the past 10 years and has advanced to a managerial position. Additionally, she has been a member of the blind and vision impaired society of Maldives, Women and Democracy, Cancer Society, Regional Alliance for Fostering Youth and the Maldives Women’s Association.

Zahra Nemati – Iran’s first gold medallist at a Paralympic or Olympics is also a distinguished activist. She participated at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and in May 2018, she was designated as the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambassador by the president of Global Understanding (GU) Regional Action Centre in Iran.

Ileana Rodriguez – A former refugee and London 2012 Paralympian, Rodriguez  has worked as the Americas Paralympic Committee Athlete Representative and runs ‘I Design Access’, a design consulting firm looking to create more accessible buildings for persons with disabilities. She will be Chef de Mission for the Tokyo 2020 Refugee Paralympic Team.

Nur Syahidah Binte Alim – Singapore’s first female Para archer and first world champion currently serves as a member of the Asian Paralympic Committee Athlete’s Committee and was the Chairperson of the Singapore Para Athletes Commission from 2018-2020.

NPC/IF

This category recognises the leadership and impact of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations (IFs) who promote and support women in sport:

World Para Powerlifting – Through collaboration with researchers, studies were conducted analysing the barriers and facilitators of female athletes, technical officials and coaches, which led to the development of dedicated programmes such as ‘She Can Lift’ that was launched to educate and empower women participants to become technical officials and coaches within the sport. She Can Lift engaged women in 25 countries and World Para Powerlifting has seen a 138 per cent increase in women participating in the sport since 2009.

Paralympics New Zealand – Through its commitment in being an equal opportunities employer, PNZ’s staff is comprised of 80 per cent female senior leadership and has many involved in advocacy for women and girls in sport. The achievements of its athletes have opened up numerous opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion; for example, Sport NZ media research project reported 57 per cent of Paralympic coverage includes women compared to 33 per cent of Olympic coverage.

NPC Peru – The growth and development of the NPC has involved and promoted not only the development of Para sport at the national level, but specifically the inclusion of Para female athletes.

The 2020 winners were Poland’s Paulina Malinowska-Kowalczyk (Builder), Jordan’s Maha Bargouthi (Next Generation Leader) and Paralympics Australia (National Paralympic Committee and International Federation).