By Tom Degun

Xavier_Gonzalez_head_and_shouldersMarch 23 - Xavier Gonzalez (pictured), chief executive of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), says his organisation has no intention of creating a Youth Paralympic Games despite the successful staging of the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last year.


The Youth Olympic Games, credited as being the brainchild of current International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge, were widely acclaimed after Singapore staged a spectacular competition in August 2010, while Innsbruck is set to host the first ever Winter Youth Olympic Games in January 2012.

Rogge promised that the IOC would support the creation of a Youth Paralympic Games but said any decision would need to be made by the IPC.

"It may happen one day but not now," Gonzalez told insideworldparasport.

"The Youth Olympic Games is a great initiative from Jacques Rogge but evidently it is based on the ability the IOC has to be able to put together an event of such a big size in such a short time, which they did.

"We have not had any major discussions with the IOC about a Youth Paralympic Games.

"The IOC obviously focuses on its own Youth Olympic Games and has been totally respectful of the IPC in creating the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games.

"Even for an organisation like the IOC, it was a significant challenge to create the Youth Olympics.

"But for the IPC at moment, our main focus is on the Paralympic Games itself, which is still evolving.

"We have had talks internally at the IPC about how we address youth and increase youth participation.

"We obviously have plans and, in recent years, we have had Youth Games in Asia and the Americas.

"One of our members, IWAS (The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport Federation), also runs a World Junior Games so we are trying to bring all of these elements together and coordinate them as we look at how best to address the needs of young athletes in the Paralympic Movement.

"We have several sports that already have good junior programmes like wheelchair basketball.

"So we need to start to bring all of these together and I think when we do that and see where we are; we can look seriously at what are the best models we can implement in the short, medium and long term.

"What will happen in a few years, I don't know.

"But at the moment, I think the possibilities of our organisation are more on developing programmes based in partnerships with other organisations and federations than creating a Youth Paralympics."

Gonzalez admitted there is more of a chance of seeing Paralympic events at the Youth Olympic Games itself, but said they must be meaningful.

"Again, we haven't had formal discussions with the IOC about including disability events at the Youth Olympics," he said.

"But what we always say about the inclusion of disability events at able-bodied competition is that they need to be meaningful.

"They need to create opportunities to increase inclusion and participation by showcasing them in the right way.

"In the past, on some occasions, they have not been meaningful or positive despite all the good intentions in the world.

"But if we have a conversation, not just with the IOC but with anybody about the inclusion of disability events in able-bodied sport, the inclusion of them needs to involve respect and understanding of the necessary scope and work that needs to be done in order to host disability sport competition properly.

"But we are always talking to the IOC.

"They are a great partner who we work with on a daily basis and we are also looking into the future and to the next ten years of our relationship.

"All of these elements will be part our future discussions with the IOC as we look at how to continue our great relationship and how to continue to work together closely."

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August 2010: It is for IPC to decide whether to have Youth Games says Rogge
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