No 2018 repeat: Paralympics will not share spotlight in Brisbane 2032
The International Paralympic Committee has no intention of following the Commonwealth Games' lead and combining with the Olympics, the head of the organisation insisted as he visited 2032 host city Brisbane on Wednesday.
Para sports were held alongside able-bodied sports at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the previous major multi-sport event held in south-east Queensland, meaning spectators saw both competitions with a single ticket.
It was lauded at the time, but IPC president Andrew Parsons said it was important the Paralympic Games remained a totally separate event to the Olympics.
'The Paralympic Games is the only event of global impact that puts persons with disabilities centre-stage,' he said.
'You think sport, in art and culture, in politics, economics, any type of event – the Paralympic Games is the only one. So we cannot change, we cannot lose that platform.
'We have to have that platform so we can advance the agenda of persons with disability.'
Central to that agenda, Parsons said, was accessibility, and while Brisbane was already out of the blocks on that front, the 2032 host city still had some way to go – as did 'every city in the world'.
'We had the example of Tokyo, where 70 per cent of their transport system was accessible – even before the bid – and they went the extra mile,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
17 hours ago
- Herald Sun
David Beckham to be awarded knighthood after string of near misses for more than a decade, football news
Don't miss out on the headlines from Football. Followed categories will be added to My News. David Beckham is to finally be awarded a knighthood, The Sun can reveal. The footie legend, 50, will become a 'Sir' in the King's Birthday Honours list next week. His Spice Girl wife Victoria will be known as Lady Beckham. Ex-England and Man United star Becks has longed for a knighthood for years, according to The Sun. The news will also bring some joy to the Beckham household amid a rift with their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. Politicians and fellow sports stars have spent years calling for the man known as 'Golden Balls' to receive a knighthood. The father of four — who played 115 times for England and has made major contributions to charity — has struck up a firm friendship with King Charles. And the monarch dropped a potential hint last month that his wait was coming to an end. Countryside-loving Becks, who is an ambassador of The King's Foundation, was seen greeting Charles and Queen Camilla at the Chelsea Flower Show. David Beckham will be knighted. Image: Getty Coveted honour He shares a passion for horticulture with Charles and sported the King's rose in his lapel. Charles asked him: 'You got it, didn't you?' Becks replied: 'It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.' Letters inviting recipients to accept honours are sent out weeks in advance – and one may have already landed on David's mat at the time of their chat. He was first put forward for a knighthood in 2011 after helping to secure the London 2012 Olympics. But he was blocked from getting the title by the Honours Committee after becoming caught up in a tax avoidance scheme, along with many other stars. Becks retired from playing in 2013, and his finances were cleared by the taxman at least four years ago – paving the way for him to finally get the coveted honour. Many thought it would finally come in 2022, after he spent 13 hours queuing with the public to pay his respects at Queen Elizabeth's coffin, which lay in state in Westminster. But he was again left waiting for the honour. The Sun understands he narrowly missed out on a knighthood in the New Year Honours List published in December last year. David Beckham wearing a David Austin Roses "King's Rose" speaks with King Charles III at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. (Photo by Paul Grover –) Former England football manager Gareth Southgate got the award. David had been given an OBE in 2003 for services to football. He received it from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, watched by proud Victoria, sons Brooklyn and Romeo, and his grandparents. David and his wife — who shot to fame with the Spice Girls before becoming a successful fashion designer — have an estimated combined net worth of more than $1 million. David also has a long history of charitable work, which will have been considered by officials on the Honours Committee. Last year, he was formally made a charity ambassador by the King, and beekeeper Becks was buzzing with excitement at teaming up with him. Charles invited Beckham to Highgrove to learn more about the charity, which focuses on 'creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony'. Tours of the grounds help to fund workshops and courses in traditional skills and crafts, and the former footie star met woodworking and embroidery students. Becks said at the time: 'I'm excited to be working with The King's Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity's work. 'I've always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I'm particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation's education programs and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature. David Beckham is one of the all-time footballing greats. (Photo by) 'Having developed a love for the countryside I'm also on a personal mission to learn more about rural skills which is so central to the Foundation's work. 'It was inspiring to hear from The King about the work of His Majesty's Foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens — and compare beekeeping tips.' In 2020, he teamed up with the Chelsea Pensioners as he backed The Sun's campaign to save the Poppy Appeal amid the devastating Covid lockdown. He said he was 'in awe' of the veterans as he delivered poppies to their London HQ. David added: 'With another lockdown coming it is more important than ever that we support our veterans.' Becks, also dad to son Cruz and daughter Harper, has carried out lots of charity work focusing on children, and was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador 20 years ago. To mark his 50th birthday last month he appealed for donations for the charity. The Beckham family from far left, Romeo, Cruz, Victoria, Harper, David and Brooklyn. Picture: Instagram He was also a founding member of the leadership council of charity Malaria No More in 2009, helping to eradicate the disease, even visiting No 10 to highlight the issue. In 2023, he delighted the Brentford Penguins – a football team for children with Down's syndrome — with a visit to celebrate them winning one of The Sun's Who Cares Wins awards. He took footballing son Romeo with him to lead a surprise training session. David celebrated his 50th last month with a string of parties, though Brooklyn stayed away. The honours will be formally announced later this month. The government does not comment on them beforehand. This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission. Originally published as David Beckham to be awarded knighthood after string of near misses
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Imane Khelif goes missing after bombshell gender test leak
Imane Khelif will skip the Eindhoven Box Cup just a week after World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes. The Algerian, along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, was the focal point of an explosive gender row that dominated the 2024 Olympics in Paris last summer. Khelif fought at the Games 18 months after being banned from competing at the Women's World Championships for allegedly failing a gender eligibility test, The Sun reports. The alleged test administered by the International Boxing Association is said to have determined that both Khelif and Yu-Ting have male XY chromosomes. The pair, however, were permitted to compete by the IOC because of their female passport statuses, to the fury of many. Less than a year after the scandal, World Boxing announced all participants in competitions under their jurisdiction will have to undergo sex testing. And Khelif won't be in action at their first event since the announcement in Eindhoven having missed the deadline to register. 'The decision of Imane's exclusion is not ours. We regret it,' Eindhoven Cup media director Dirk Renders said. Mayor of Eindhoven Joren Dijsselbloem has blasted World Boxing's decision to implement mandatory sex testing. In a letter to the Dutch Boxing Federation and the International Boxing Federation, he said: 'As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. 'Excluding athletes based on controversial 'gender tests' certainly does not fit in with that. 'We are expressing our disapproval of this decision today and are calling on the organisation to admit Imane Khelif after all.' Khelif won Algeria's first ever female gold medal in boxing at the Paris Games. The boxer was subjected to a torrent of abuse on social media after forcing Italy's Angele Carina to quit just 46 seconds into their opening bout. The stoppage of Carini sparked claims the gender eligibility test Khelif failed before the 2023 World Championships deemed her to be a 'biological male'. That alleged test, which was conducted in New Delhi, was recently published by 3 Wire Sports. The document claimed that chromosome analysis revealed a 'male karyotype'. A karotype is the set of chromosomes possessed by an individual. Khelif has yet to speak on the alleged report, but has maintained that she is a biological female from the outset. The Algerian has taken legal action against a number of prominent figures for alleged 'aggravated cyber-harassment', including Elon Musk and JK Rowling. The last ten months have been a rollercoaster of emotions for Khelif, who admits the ordeal has taken its toll. 'Immediately after, there was a big uproar from big politicians around the world, athletes around the world,' Khelif told El Birard. 'And even artists and stars, Elon Musk, Trump, this thing ... that affected me. 'I am not lying to you, it affected me. It affected me a lot, hurt me a lot. 'I can't describe to you the amount of fear I had. The scenario was very scary. 'Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will. 'Honestly, I don't like to get into politics in sports, but they got into politics in sports. 'Sports and politics are two separate things. 'These politicians who are oppressing me, they don't have the right to say that I'm a transgender.'
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Trump travel ban won't hit Los Angeles Olympics: organizers
Los Angeles 2028 Olympics organizers said Thursday the Games will not be impacted by President Donald Trump's ban on citizens from 12 countries from visiting the United States. Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28, the 2028 Olympics organizing committee, told a press conference the US government had made it "very clear" that Trump's travel directive would not apply to the Games. Trump's travel directive announced late Wednesday bars all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Wasserman said, however, he was confident that all athletes and members of the Olympic movement would be free to travel to the United States in 2028. "It was very clear in the directive that the Olympics require special consideration, and I actually want to thank the federal government for recognizing that," Wasserman said following the conclusion of a visit from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission. Wasserman said the broad constituency of the Olympic movement -- from athletes to federation officials and media -- would not be affected by the ban. "All the constituents that you know so well that come to the city pre-Games and during the Games -- it's very clear that the federal government understands that that's an environment that they will be accommodating and provide for," Wasserman said. "So we have great confidence that that will only continue. It has been the case to date, and it will certainly be the case going forward through the Games." Wasserman's bullish appraisal was echoed by Nicole Hoevertsz, the chairwoman of the IOC Coordination Commission. "We as the IOC have every confidence in the fact that the local authorities and the federal authorities understand that bringing the Games to your country is a big responsibility," Hoevertsz said. "It is 206 countries that are preparing to come to the Games ... and the federal government has given us that guarantee in the past as well, to make sure that these these participants will be able to enter the country. "That is something that we will be definitely looking at and making sure that it is guaranteed as well ... we are very confident that this is going to be accomplished."
