The president of the International Paralympic Committee (ICC), Andrew Parsons, is clear that the Paralympic Games “are an example of how the world should be” and also “a message to world leaders” when it comes to solving conflicts, while he recalls that Russia and Belarus have been suspended for having used the movement to “promote” the invasion of Ukraine.
In an interview with Europa Press on the occasion of the 100-day countdown to the celebration of the Paralympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy), Parsons stressed how in this event there are “people from all over the world who speak different languages, who have different cultures and religions, and who think differently under the same roof and in a very competitive competition environment.”
“They are there to win and everyone is in peace, eating and living together, together in the Village, a place that is accessible and diverse, that is, it can be done. The Paralympic Village and the Paralympic Games are an example for the world of how the world should be,” he stated.
The leader believes there is “that it is possible” to achieve this coexistence and for this he sees “it is very important to create conditions, negotiate, do things.” “But it is a message to world leaders that if it is possible in the Paralympic Movement, if it is possible in sport, because something similar also happens in the Olympic Games, why not in society? Why not in the world?” he warned.
Last September, the Assembly of its body lifted the suspension of Russia and Belarus, but the respective sports federations maintained it and athletes from these two countries will not be able to participate in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo. “I am president of the organization and I believe in democracy, I am a convinced democrat. Our members have made the decision and it is now up to me as president to implement it,” remarked the Brazilian.
He makes it clear that his personal opinion on whether Russian and Belarusian athletes should be able to participate “is not important at the moment” and that he knows and understands “the reaction” that exists among people with this matter. “People should express their opinions, always in a respectful manner, as they are doing, but what I can say is that during the assembly, many people, and I cannot justify anyone’s votes, neither on one side nor the other, discussed a lot why only Russia and Belarus,” the president pointed out.
“It is important that our members understand, and we explain it to them, and also the press and governments, that Russia and Belarus were not suspended because they were in conflict, because they invaded a country or because they did not respect the Olympic Truce. They were suspended and we took action against them because they were using the Paralympic Movement to promote the invasion of Ukraine, what they called a special operation. And that is prohibited according to our statutes,” he argued.
That “is the difference” with these countries and “all the others that are in conflict,” but for Parsons they have not used the “symbols” or “the athletes” of the movement he leads “to promote any of their war or military activities.”
A NEW FOUR-YEAR TERM
Last September, Parsons was also re-elected for a new four-year term at the head of the CPI, “an opportunity to finish the implementation of things” that he began in the previous two, but “also to start new things.”
In this sense, since he started as president of the organization in 2017, he considers that the committee “built a closer relationship with the human rights movement of people with disabilities.” “We are sport, sport and sport and I think that was necessary to consolidate the Games and the Paralympic Movement as something relevant,” he highlighted.
“But since 2017 it was clear to me and it remains clear that we have to make a movement that also promotes other issues about people with disabilities. Use the Games as a tool for these discussions and promote. I think we still have to consolidate ourselves in this space. We always say that we are the most transformative sporting event in the world and we want in the future to be the most transformative event. It is very ambitious, but it is something we want and we will be there in this space,” detailed the Brazilian.
There are also “new things” planned such as development work with the support of the Toyota Foundation in order to provide “opportunities for athletes living in developing countries, strengthening the Paralympic committees in these parts of the world that are still very small and very fragile.” “See how they can offer better services to their own athletes,” he said.
“There is also this work of impact. We have the incredible opportunity with the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The United States is a country that is very important for many issues such as television or commercial issues, but it is also a country that has a lot of influence in the world and having a more significant position there is important for the Paralympic Movement and I think it gives us this very great possibility,” he continued.
Parsons also wants to work on “attracting a little more technology” in order to “support the work of the classifiers, making it more efficient and to also have more possibilities of doing it in other parts of the world.” “Classification is something that has always been my priority and I think we have done a lot, but there is still a lot to do,” he said.