With numerous World Championships taking place around the world this summer, I have already witnessed some incredible performances by athletes who are using every competition opportunity to plan for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Recently, my wife Jocelyne and I spent three memorable days in Birmingham, Great Britain at the 2010 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, excellently organised by the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA) and Birmingham City Council, with support from the National Lottery through UK Sport’s World Class Events Programme.

To be back watching the sport that occupied at least 35 years of my life was a great treat. I was like a little boy with a big new present that I really liked.

At the same time, my national pride was riding high with Great Britain’s men winning all of their five pool matches and the country’s women playing the best wheelchair basketball ever seen from a British women's team.

We left Birmingham on July 11. Depression hit me however when I heard that Great Britain had lost their quarter-final to France. But that is sport!

I then went to Zagreb, Croatia, for the 2010 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Shooting World Championships. I arrived for the Opening Ceremony, which celebrated all of the athletes who were going to participate.

This is the first time that Croatia has staged Paralympic Sport World Championships and they have done a great job with a dynamic Organising Committee led by National Paralympic Committee (NPC) President Ratko Kovačic. It was a pleasure to be in Zagreb and watch the men's 25 metre air pistol event live won by China's Hedong Ni. I had the honour along with NPC President Ratko Kovačic to present the medals in both the individual and team events (the team event was won by future Paralympic Winter Games host country Russia).

I travelled on July 17 to Budapest for IPC Gold Patron Allianz’s Sports World Games. With employees from all over the world, I was present with Allianz Chairman, Michael Diekmann and Board member Gerhard Rupprecht for the men's basketball and football finals, the latter being won by Croatia against Switzerland, 4-3. 

There was a tremendous sporting spirit at Allianz sports reconfirming what a great and true partnership the IPC has with Allianz!

I am now looking forward to great IPC World Championships in powerlifting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and swimming in Eindhoven, the Netherlands!

Enjoy the summer!

Sir Philip Craven is the President of the International Paralympic Committee. He represented Britain in five consecutive Paralympic Games between 1972 and 1988, competing in athletics, basketball and swimming