 |
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 19 - 25 October 2000 Issue No. 504 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 19 - 25 October 2000 Issue No. 504
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
||
Egypt Elections Palestine International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Travel Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Back to Sydney
By Abeer AnwarIt was deja vu. No sooner had the Sydney Olympic torch been put out than another Olympics came to town -- the 11th Paralympic Games. Like its sister production, the Paralympics was an entertainment spectacular honouring traditions of the past while inspiring a new generation of sports fans.
Leading Australian entertainer Kylie Minogue headed a line-up of exceptional international and local talent in a unique rock opera presentation narrated by Australian actor Bryan Brown.
The 11-day tournament proper starts today with 3,925 athletes from 125 countries competing in power lifting, athletics, volleyball -- sitting and standing -- swimming, archery, fencing, football, judo, table tennis, sailing, equestrian, shooting, goalball, boccia, tennis, wheelchair basketball, cycling and wheelchair rugby.
Egypt enters with a 46-member squad in volleyball, power lifting, athletics and swimming. For the Egyptians, the Games begin in earnest tomorrow with three athletes appearing in the men's discus. On the same day, volleyballers play their first match against Korea in Group B and Essam Zeidan, Egypt's sole swimmer, tackles the 200-metre freestyle.
The Egyptian flag was hoisted and unfurled on Saturday in the Paralympic Village in a ceremony held for delegations upon their arrival. Essam Ramadan, Egypt's counsellor in Sydney, attended the ceremony, as did the head of the Egyptian delegation, led by Nabil Salem, head of the Egyptian and African Disabled Federations and deputy of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Egypt's players are busy training twice daily in order to acclimatise themselves to the weather and adjust to the nine-hour time difference. "The players are ready to do their best and to do better than their 23rd-place finish in Atlanta," Salem said, predicting that 30 medals could be garnered.
Goldsmith and jeweller to the queen, Stuart Devlin, chose two world famous Australian tourist attractions for the athletes' medals: the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge encircled by seven Paralympic sports arenas: the Olympic Stadium, Sydney International Aquatic Centre, the Sydney Super Dome, Sydney International Aquatic Centre, Sydney International Equestrian Centre, the NSW Tennis Centre and the Dome. The reverse side features the logos of the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (SPOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The Paralympics mascot is a frill-necked lizard, Lizzie, chosen to represent the energy, physical strength and tenacity of athletes with disabilities. With a razor-sharp tongue and a cheeky, irreverent sense of humour, Lizzie symbolises the fire, strength and humour of Paralympians. Its red colour symbolises the land, fire and independence.
Drug tests began four days before the competition -- the first time the procedure has been put in place at a Paralympics.
The Paralympic Village is housing around 7,000 athletes and officials. Australia has the largest delegation with 278 athletes and a total of 427 followed by the US with 257 athletes and 423 in all.
Australian three-time Paralympic swimmer Tracey Cross was scheduled to read the athletes' oath on behalf of the competitors. Cross, 28, who won two gold medals in each of the 1992 and 1996 Paralympics, is regarded as one of the world's best vision-impaired swimmers. She was ecstatic to have been selected. "To be chosen to perform this task at any Games would have been a great honour. But to be chosen to do this at home makes the honour even more special," said Cross. "The oath is special for all competing athletes as its message is an integral part of the Games themselves. It is up to us, all competing athletes, to uphold these values for this and all future Games."
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
