Bob Price, the President of the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID), has hailed the decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) at its Congress in Kuala Lumpur in November to readmit ID athletes to the Games after they had missed Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.

But he is aware that the decision was not universally popular and there can be no more repeats of the events that led to ID athletes being expelled after the Sydney Paralympics in 2000 when a number of members of Spain's basketball team were discovered not to be suffering from an intellectual disability.

Price said: "It is clear both from the debate and the narrowness of the majority [in Kuala Lumpur] that, even now, nothing can be taken for granted and, before athletes with intellectual disability can compete in London 2012, there is a huge amount of work that remains to be done - not least by INAS-FID.

"In reality, preparing for 2012 means being ready by the summer of 2010 and 'being ready' will require having everything in place - within INAS-FID, IPC and the relevant Sports - for the London 2012 programme to include opportunities for athletes with intellectual disability in athletics, rowing, swimming and table tennis.

"There can be little doubt that a huge burden of responsibility rests with INAS-FID.

"We have learned from the past and it is now essential, as we move towards London 2012, that all necessary eligibility and registration procedures are in place and working effectively at all levels of operation."

Researchers at Loughborough University are currently working on a computerised testing system to help classify athletes with an ID to ensure there can be no repeat of the fiasco like that of Spain in Sydney. 

A new International Eligibility Panel has also been formed by the Wakefield-based INAS-FID under the leadership of Professor Jay Burns and will impose tough standards, Price has promised.

He said: "Only those nations which comply fully with the requirements of the new process will be allowed to enter athletes in future Paralympic Games."

Price knows that they must avoid controversy at London to ensure ID athletes keep their place in the Paralympics beyond 2012.

He said: "Quite rightly, the efforts of all concerned are currently focused on London 2012, but we know already that, in 2014, there will be Winter Paralympics in Sochi and, in 2016, the next Summer Paralympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro.

"Clearly, nothing is guaranteed, but I will be representing INAS-FID at this year’s Winter Games in Vancouver with a view to exploring the possibility of inclusion in the Sochi programme and, subject to an incident free participation in London, IPC has already received from INAS-FID a formal expression of interest in including basketball and futsal in the programme of Rio 2016."


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