Paralympics – Everything you need to know

Everyone in this world is equal and should get equal rights. Everyone must get an equal chance to perform and leave their signature on the world for generations and generations to remember and respect them. Paralympics was such an initiative that gave rights to those, who were not born equal or met with any mishaps. Hello readers, today we are going to discuss: Paralympics – Everything you need to know. And how a game brought a spark in the life of diable people to become an athlete- Paralympics. It is always followed by the Olympic Games. Paralympics 2020 is being held in Tokyo.

 

History of Paralympics

Before the Paralympics came into play, athletes with disabilities used to participate in the Olympics. It was since 1948 when the first organised event for disabled athletes was arranged. It was tallying with the 1948 Summer Olympic Games.
Dr Ludwig Guttmann was the first to host this event. It was basically organised for the British veterans of World War II. However, veterans patients with spinal cord injuries were to participate in this athletic event. This was the basic reason why the first game was named 1948 International wheelchair games. The purpose was to give a platform to people with disabilities equivalent to the Olympic Games. This might be the reason why it coincided with the Olympic Games.

In 1952, Dutch and Israeli athletes also participated along with the British, which made the game an international athletic event for disabled people. In 1960, the game took another step forward. Now, it was not limited to war veterans. 400 athletes from 23 countries participated in the 1960 Games, held in Rome. Stoke Mandeville Games is supposed to be the forerunner of the Paralympics.

In the 1976 Summer Games, athletes with different disabilities were allowed to participate. Shooting up the number of athletes to 1600 from 40 countries, reaching a new milestone. In 1988, the game was held directly after the Olympic Games in the same host city, Seoul with the same facilities. From here the game got a new significance in the world. The game itself has come a long way to give identity to its participants.

 

Governing unit

The Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). IPC is responsible for organising the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Its headquarter is in Bonn, Germany. In total 176 National Paralympic Committee and four disability-specific international sports federations are incorporated with IPC.

 

Eligibility

Athletes with a range of disabilities along with impaired muscle power, limb deficiency, vision impairment, intellectual impairment etc are allowed to participate in multi-sport events in the Paralympics. These also include a wide range of categories in which athletes compete. Also, different sports have their eligibility criteria. Athletes with disabilities are allowed to participate in the Olympics. Few athletes like Neroli Farehall and Oscar Pistorius have tried their hands in the Olympics also. However, this creates a bit of controversy considering the benefits enjoyed by few athletes in few sports. Similarly, athletes without disabilities can also participate in the Paralympic Games. Sighted guides, the one who guides a blind or visually challenged athlete, along with its partner athlete forms a team. Because of this, both are eligible to win a medal if the athlete wins.

 

Conclusion

This year 53 Indian athletes have participated in 9 different sports at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The Sports School congratulate them for their achievements.

The Games developed itself in several terms. Gave an equal opportunity to those athletes who are slightly different from the Olympic athletes. Paralympians have been keeping their nose to the grindstone and proving nothing is beyond reach if you decide. And this is what we think, we all should adopt and take a dive into the world of struggle.
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