No losers in disabled sports festival
Published 31 May, 2008, 18:36
A sports festival for the disabled has been held in Moscow. At the moment Russia is far behind many other nations when comparing standards of living for the disabled. But with the government starting to pay more attention to the problem and thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts, there are hopes the situation will soon change.
Nineteen years ago, there were only a couple of dozen athletes taking part in a single wheelchair race. Now, however, the festival has seen a huge rise in the number of participants and today it has grown to over 500 competing in several disciplines.
Participants from all over Russia and other countries came to Moscow to take part in a number of events, including arm wrestling and darts, and, of course, the festival's main event – distance wheelchair racing. There are five types of competition wheelchairs and just as many events.
Over the years, the festival has become a starting point for many Paralympics, European and World champions.
Roman Shkabar, the head referee, says, “The government started paying closer attention to us in mid-nineties”.
“It was then that we began to send athletes to Paralympic Games and other international events – and we started winning. At the moment, many compete under various scholarships and even win prize money,” he says.
Disabled sports in Russia have come a long way since being introduced in the late 1980s. There was a decline during the unstable 1990s in the country, but enthusiasts have revived disabled sport.
The President of the Sports Federation for Disabled, Gennady Tatayev, says that over the last few years they have opened many sports clubs for the disabled in Moscow.
“We’re not only targeting sports lovers, but also trying to get people out of their houses to join others and live a full life,” he says.
