Rio Paralympics organisers are to close a venue and media facilities, cut staff and shrink stadium capacities in a desperate bid to reduce costs before the Games start next month, officials said Friday.
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The planned cuts to the Paralympics, the top global competition for disabled athletes, will affect the number of workers, transportation options and sports venues, according to the committee.
“This movement has most certainly not gone back [wards]”, he proclaimed, denying Paralympic athletes had returned to being treated as second-class citizens in comparison to their Olympic counterparts. It’s in our Paralympic DNA to see obstacles as an opportunity to do things differently and that’s what we are doing here.
Venue capacity is also expected to be cut, with only 12 per cent of tickets sold so far.
Rio de Janeiro city government has promised 150 million reais ($46 million) to boost the Games budget, while Craven said the federal government had offered another 100 million reais in sponsorship from state companies.
“None of the problems we’ve had in the Olympics were serious enough to produce a negative impact on the Paralympics”, Andrada said.
“The money will be used mainly in services and for clients and athletes, travel grants, food – everything we need to do to make sure the athletes have their best”, Rio organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada said Thursday.
Sir Philip explained, “Currently we have around 10 countries who, even if the grants are paid, may struggle to cover the cost of their travel to the Games”.
The initial payments that ensure full participation from all 165 participating countries were meant to be awarded in July, and the delay could be fatal.
The IPC said it has already been imposing cuts over the a year ago and the fresh ones are set to affect every team and visitors to the Games.
Brazil is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1930s and is also in the grip of a political crisis.
“I believe the performances of the Para athletes will act a a catalyst for social change”. “You only have to look at some of the achievements from Para athletes over the last two years to realize that we will witness some truly spectacular sport”, he said.
With these grants now three weeks overdue, Gonzalez said 10 countries had already contacted the IPC to say they may not be able to come to Rio.
A statement by the Canadian Paralympic Committee says it was glad the events would be proceeding, even with some changes.
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will take place from September 7-18.
“The opportunity we have here to make Rio, Brazil, Latin America and the world a more equitable place for all does not come around very often, so we have to grab it with both hands”.
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“We know that London 2012 challenged attitudes to disability and celebrated Paralympians as sporting equals”, Lane added.
