On the eve of the 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup, Prime Minister David Cameron has taken a personal interest in the event and endorsed the value of the competition, as he urged athletes to use this as a crucial stepping stone towards the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Mr Cameron has given his support to the outstanding GB Paralympic team which finished second in the Paralympic medals table in Beijing. The Prime Minister said, “This year’s BT Paralympic World Cup will no doubt be a fantastic showcase for sport once again. It’s a great thrill for British athletes to compete in front of a home crowd and – for those taking part in London 2012 – a chance to test themselves against some of the best in the world.”
Some of the most recognisable names in Paralympic sport are arriving in the North West as over 300 athletes will compete in Athletics, Football 7-a-side, Wheelchair Basketball and Swimming.
Mr Cameron continued, “I hope that this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup will provide everyone involved, from organisers to athletes to spectators, with experiences that will live with them for many years. I wish all the competitors the very best of luck and a thoroughly enjoyable week."
With the London 2012 Paralympic Games just over two years away, the BT Paralympic World Cup is a crucial event in the preparation for the world’s leading sport event.
For the first time this year, a team challenge has been introduced which sees Great Britain take on teams from the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World, with athletes competing for the overall BT Paralympic World Cup trophy.
As the event prepares to start, Athletics star Oscar Pistorius (representing Rest of the World), GB Swimmer Liz Johnson, Italian Wheelchair Basketball player Roberto Ceriscioli (competing for Europe) and US Football 7-a-side player Josh McKinney (representing the Americas) have appeared together at Manchester City Football Club to mark the opening of this year’s competition.
BT Ambassador Pistorius, regarded as the ‘fastest man on no legs’, will compete in the T44 100m & 400m and says he is excited about the impending challenge.
“I’m delighted to be competing in this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup,” he said.
“The event comes at a key time in my season and I will be looking to set fast times in the 100m and 400m. The London Paralympic Games are just two years away now and to have major international competition in the UK is crucial in my preparations as I look to defend my Paralympic titles and also compete in the Olympic Games.”
UK soul queen Mica Paris has exclusively teamed up with BT to donate her single Hold On as the official anthem to this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup. Mica will be appearing in Manchester as a special guest and will also award the BT Paralympic World Cup trophy to the winning team on Monday 31 May at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
GB’s Liz Johnson is one of the stars who will be hoping to shine in the pool and the BT Ambassador said, “I’m delighted to be competing in this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester. The event has really established itself and this is demonstrated by the number of top level competitors at the event. London 2012 is on the horizon and this competition is great preparation for me against the best swimmers in the world.”
Wheelchair Basketball is making its sixth consecutive appearance at the BT Paralympic World Cup and the men’s competition will see Paralympic champions Australia defending their BT Paralympic World Cup title, with Paralympic silver medallists Canada, bronze medallists GB and European champions Italy all fielding world class teams.
Italian player Roberto Ceriscioli said, “It is an honour for Italy to have been invited to play at the BT Paralympic World Cup, against some of the best teams in the world. We are excited about the tournament and hope to get a good feel for how the Paralympics will be in Great Britain in 2012.”
The women’s tournament will see GB looking to avenge their fourth place finish last year, as they compete against Australia, Canada and The Netherlands.
Kicking off a summer of Football, the BT Paralympic World Cup will preclude this summer’s FIFA World Cup, welcoming Football 7-a-side as a new sport to the event.
Great Britain’s elite disability players in the 7-a-side game, which is an adaptation of the sport for athletes with cerebral palsy, will face fierce competition in Manchester from The Netherlands, USA, and the Republic of Ireland at the invitational event.
American player Josh McKinney said, “We are really excited to have the opportunity to play in the country where the next Paralympics is going to be held as we just missed out qualifying for Beijing so the BT Paralympic World Cup competition offers us great preparation.”
ParalympicsGB Chief Executive, Phil Lane, said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup is such a fantastic event and it is now becoming a crucial part of the athletes’ preparations ahead of London in 2012. For me it is also an opportunity to see Paralympic sport at its best, with world class athletes competing against the best in the world.”
BT today announced its long term commitment to Paralympic sport in the UK, helping secure a lasting legacy for the country’s Paralympic athletes through the London 2012 Paralympic Games and beyond.
BT will continue to support ParalympicsGB after the London 2012 Paralympic Games, for the period 01 January 2013 until 31 December 2016, supporting ParalympicsGB athletes as they compete in Sochi in 2014 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Suzi Williams, BT Group Marketing and Brand Director, said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup gets stronger every year and reinforces the power of Paralympic sport to inspire, connect and engage people of all ages and backgrounds. The event is now regarded as one of the most important stepping stones to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
“I am also very proud today to announce BT is increasing its long term commitment to Paralympic sport in the UK, by becoming a partner of ParalympicsGB all the way to Rio in 2016. We are all firmly focused on making the London 2012 Paralympic Games the best they can be, seeing the GB team make Britain proud and providing a lasting legacy for the Paralympic movement.”
Nigel Dove, Head of Marketing at the NWDA, said, “As the excitement builds it is excellent to have future London 2012 Paralympic Games stars competing on our doorstep in Manchester. The Northwest is heavily involved in London 2012 and athletes from Australia and Thailand will be training in Manchester up until 2012, which demonstrates the confidence that elite teams have in the city. Manchester is truly a sport city and can boast some of the best facilities in the world and I am confident can again host a very successful BT Paralympic World Cup which will bring significant social and economic benefits. Good luck to everyone involved.”
Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said, “Manchester is excited to see the return of the BT Paralympic World Cup for the sixth consecutive year, as a fundamental part of our major events programme. We are committed to once again delivering a world-class event, confirming Manchester’s position as a leading sport city.”
The BBC, the official televised partner to the event, will broadcast live from the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Monday 31 May 2010 on BBC Television.
Tickets for the BT Paralympic World Cup are now on sale and can be purchased via the event website: www.btparalympicworldcup.com or by calling 0844 8471622. Tickets are priced at £6 per session.
BT is the title sponsor of the Paralympic World Cup; the sponsorship runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.
The BT Paralympic World Cup is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association (CPISRA) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and supported by BT, ParalympicsGB, the FA, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
The event schedule will see Athletics on 25 May, Football 7-a-side on 26-29 May and Wheelchair Basketball on 27-30 May, all at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on 31 May.
Follow the BT Paralympic World Cup on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BTPWC
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