Athletes To Take Part In Paralympic Day
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will host International Paralympic Day on 8th September 2011, before launching tickets for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the following day.
Staged in Trafalgar Square, a full day of activity is planned to celebrate elite Paralympic sport and give the public a chance to find out about each of the 20 sports to take place at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
There will be demonstrations of a wide range of sports, including Wheelchair Basketball, Powerlifting, Sitting Volleyball and Wheelchair Rugby.
Highlights of the day will include the chance to see triple world record holder, Paralympic gold medallist and BT Ambassador Oscar Pistorius and witness a Guinness World Record attempt in Sitting Volleyball.
There will also be an official invitation by the International Paralympic Committee to athletes and National Paralympic Committees around the world to participate in the London 2012 Paralympic Games next year.
Five of London 2012’s sponsors have also been announced as official supporters of International Paralympic Day, with BT, Cadbury, Deloitte, Sainsbury’s and Samsung providing funding and expertise for key elements of International Paralympic Day.
Tickets for the Paralympic Games in 2012 will go on sale on 9th September, with applications open until the 26th September 2011.
In total, approximately two million tickets will go on sale to the UK and international public and already more than one million people have registered their interest online.
Over half of the tickets on sale will be priced at £10 or less and 75% at £20 or less.
Sports fans who want to experience the Paralympic Games are able to sign up and register their interest for tickets at www.tickets.london2012.com before they go on sale from 9th September.
To complete the Paralympic activity, on 10th September Sainsbury’s will be hosting Sainsbury’s Super Saturday on Clapham Common.
The day will feature demonstrations of Paralympic sport and live music from top UK acts including Pixie Lott, The Saturdays and Olly Murs.
All profits from the event will go to the Paralympic Legacy Fund, set up in conjunction with ParalympicsGB.
Seb Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ‘We’ve got a fantastic line-up of Paralympic activity due to take place in early September and hosting International Paralympic Day in Trafalgar Square is a great way to kick things off’.
‘It will be an exciting day and a great way for the UK public to find out about each of the 20 sports at the Paralympic Games and to get a chance to meet some of the world’s top Paralympic athletes’.
‘The London 2012 Paralympic Games will inspire unique passion and I would urge everyone to get involved and register their interest in Paralympic tickets at www.tickets.london2012.com before they go on sale from 9th September’.
Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, added: ‘We are very excited that the fifth International Paralympic Day will be held in London following previous successful events in Bonn and Berlin and are delighted that so many leading athletes from around the world will be attending’.
‘Showcasing Paralympic Sport and our athletes in such a superb location, such as Trafalgar Square, will act as the perfect catalyst as we head towards tickets going on-sale. It will give the public an opportunity to interact with our athletes, learn more about each sport and see for themselves just why the Paralympic Games is growing in popularity all the time’.
