Paralympics sponsorship hopes dimmed by economy

Other website sections

The International Paralympic Committee's plans to build on the success of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing have been dampened by the global economic slowdown, the group's president said on Monday.

The committee's finances remain strong, but it had hoped the favourable reception the 2008 Summer in China got from the public and media would also result in increased sponsorship income, the IPC's Philip Craven said.

"I think that the consequences of the downturn in the economy have meant that that's on hold for the moment," Craven told reporters in Vancouver, which will host the 2010 Winter Paralympics.

The IPC is talking with the International Olympic Committee on having worldwide sponsorship deals cover both the Paralympics and the Olympics, starting with the 2018 Games, the same way domestic sponsorship deals are done in the host cities, Craven said.

"It has been prompted by what has happened here in Vancouver and what is happening in London, where sponsors are demanding both Games... This is a time for new things, when you're in a downturn," Craven said.

Organizers expect international television viewership for the 2010 event will be the highest ever for a Winter Paralympic Games, with the Canadian broadcaster expected to offer three times the coverage that was given to the 2006 Games in Italy.

The Paralympics feature competitions among athletes with physical disabilities, but organizers say they also have a goal of changing public's perception of the disabled. The Games are held immediately after the Olympics, using the same venues.

Craven praised Beijing's efforts to give the Paralympics an equal footing to the Olympics, and said it was a good example for both Vancouver and London, which will host the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

"We're looking for that here. We're looking for that in London," he said.

Craven said he has heard good reviews for Vancouver's preparations, even joking that coaches "who normally complain first" have approached him with praise about the facilities that are now undergoing testing.

The 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver and the mountain resort community of Whistler are expected to draw about 650 athletes from more than 40 countries for events such as ice sledge hockey and para-skiing.

The athletes have disabilities such as visual impairment, paralysis or amputations.

The 2010 Vancouver Paralympics will not include any competitions between athletes with what organizers refer to as intellectual disabilities, but Craven said that may happen at the 2012 London Games.

(Source: Reuters)