The 2013 INAS World Table Tennis Championships has come to being after overcoming a number of obstacles, including the last minute withdrawals of some teams. INAS refers to the International Federation for Sport for Para-athletes with an Intellectual Disability.
The Chairperson of the Organizing Committee, Laura LING was emotional when she delivered her welcoming remarks during the Opening Ceremony this morning and, while welcoming all to the Championships she particularly thanks all the teams for their effort for their participation.
The last INAS Event in 2013
The INAS President, Amaury RUSSO, also expressed his gratitude to the Organizer, the Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped, for the tremendous dedication and effort to make the event possible. The Championships is the last event for INAS in 2013.
The 34 world class players from 8 INAS member nations/territories will compete in seven events, namely the Men and Women Singles, Doubles and Teams as well as the Mixed Doubles, from 12th-17th December in the Kowloon Park Sports Centre, the Venue once hosted the 1st Far East & South Pacific (FESPIC)Para Table Tennis Regional Championships in 1997.
The FESPIC Championships has now changed to Asian Para Table Tennis Regional Championships and being organized every two years. The last one was held in Beijing early this.
What rule to use for a wheelchair player in TT11 ?
I was given a shock when I came in to the Venue yesterday and saw a wheelchair player practicing with a standing player in a training session. The first thing came to my mind was, what rule to use for a wheelchair player in the TT11 event ?
The practicing players were from the Great Britain. I then asked the Referee Gilles BOUVIER from France and also Cindy LEUNG from Hong Kong. They both considered that the ITTF rule to be used.
I held a slightly different opinion. The opponents may raise objection because they are not familiar with wheelchair play rule, nor have they been informed of such rule change.
INAS needed to change Rule for Wheelchair Play
Fortunately when I approached to the players, and found that the one playing in wheelchair is the Team Manager, Shaun NEWCOMB who happened to be a wheelchair player before. He was there to help one of the players, as the other player was practicing with the coach. I felt a relief.
In fact, the two British players, Patrick COX and Adam THOMPSON, are BOTH multi-disabled, suffering cerebral palsy.
INAS will have to consider rules that allow wheelchair play in their competition as well.
The Great Britain Team
Patrick and Adam have played table tennis for over 7 and 11 years respectively and for 2013, they had attended 4 international tournaments. The UK government must be very supportive. Yet the answer is not quite, they still needed to pay part of the cost for the trip to Hong Kong even though Cathy Pacific Airway has sponsored their tickets.
No British players were eligible for the 2012 London Paralympic Games due to too few quotas (only 6 each for Men and Women). So their wish for the 2016 RIO is first to expand the quota and then train hard to get qualified. This is their goal.
Photographs
1.Maria CHUDINOVA of Russia in action, by Daniel CHU
2.Chi Ka YEUNG of HKG, the Defending Champion in action, by Deniel CHU
3.Great Britain Team with the INAS President, by Daniel CHU
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