BWF Confirms Paralympic Games 2020 Bid

BWF Confirms Paralympic Games 2020 Bid

The Badminton World Federation has submitted its letter of intent to have para-badminton considered for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – the first international federation (IF) to do so.

BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer handed the required letter to Sir Philip Craven – President of the International Paralympic Committee – at the 16th IPC General Assembly in Athens, Greece in November – almost two months ahead of the 17 January, 2014, deadline.

“Our preparations are well underway for this application process and, since our letter of intent was ready, we felt this was the appropriate time to present it to the IPC and, in particular, to Sir Philip Craven.

“It was well received and there was even some surprise at how early we were,” said Høyer who, along with other BWF officials, attended the IPC General Assembly.

This completes stage one of the campaign which runs until next November when the IPC Governing Board decides which sports will be showcased in the Tokyo edition of the Paralympic Games.

“The BWF has been working hard on developing para-badminton and building its player base since 2010 and this has included enhancing the classification system and the rules governing para-badminton,” added the BWF President.

“We strongly believe para-badminton has a lot to offer the global Paralympic family. Para-badminton – like badminton – has a wow factor and real spectator appeal at the elite level. We are sure that if we have the honour of being included in Tokyo 2020, fans in the stadium and around the world will love the outstanding action which para-badminton offers.”

All current sports on the Paralympic Games programme will be evaluated as part of the process for determining the sports for Tokyo 2020. There are a number of stages in the bid process, including a careful assessment of the IF and sport to ensure they meet the minimum standards to be part of the Paralympic Programme of Sports.

BWF became the IF for para-badminton in June 2011 and is responsible for promoting, presenting, developing and regulating para-badminton worldwide.

KEY DATES – PARALYMPIC GAMES 2020 APPLICATION PROCESS

5 March 2014: The IPC Governing Board approves and closes the list of eligible IFs intending to apply for inclusion of a new sport or new discipline on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Sport Programme

24 March 2014: IPC distributes the ‘Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Sport Programme Application’ package to IFs of all established sports as well as eligible IFs of new sports or disciplines.

25 July 2014: Deadline for IFs to return complete ‘Application’ (including all supplementary documentation).

November 2014: The IPC Governing Board confirms the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Sport Programme.

For more information on para-badminton, please see: http://www.bwfbadminton.org/page.aspx?id=15437

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BWF HOME PAGE: BWF President Poul-Erik Høyer (left) shares a moment with re-elected President of the International Paralympic Committee, Sir Philip Craven, at last month’s 16th IPC General Assembly in Athens, Greece.

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