A successful event needs to focus on athletes, says IPC official

BEIJING - One of the fundamental principles for a successful Games is to focus on athletes, said International Paralympic Committee (IPC) chief executive officer Xavier Gonzalez during a seminar for the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing on Monday.

To help local organizers have a better understanding of the Paralympic Games, several IPC members were invited to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games Orientation Seminar which also involved over 200 representatives from the Chinese Paralympic Association, the Beijing Municipal Government and the Hebei Provincial Government.

"One of the fundamental principles for a very successful games is to make sure that we focus on athletes, who needs to be taken care of," said Gonzalez, adding that another important aspect is to look forward to legacy and global impact of the games.

The organizing committee for the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games was established last December. Gonzalez highlighted the importance of the seminar at the committee's initial stage.

"This is the initial stage of the committee as this organization was set up a month ago. The fundamental purpose of having this seminar is to learn a bit more about the Paralympic Games, and start from now on to include all the plannings for the Paralympic Games in this foundation phase."

"The next is to have plans to make sure from the beginning that the Paralympic Winter Games are considered at the same level as the Olympic Winter Games as we move forward," said the IPC official.

Beijing was selected as the host city for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015.

"The Paralympic winter sport still has an opportunity to grow significantly both in China and globally, and the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games could be a catalyst for that goal," said Gonzalez.

"We had the experience in 2008 that the Paralympic Games held in Beijing helped the Paralympic summer sport across the world, not only in China, that is what the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games also can do," he added.