We are very pleased to update you that entry information and details are now available for the CPISRA World Games 2018, Sant Cugat - Barcelona, Spain. The Entry Invitation and Entry Qualification Standards were sent to CPISRA national members last month and can be viewed on the CPISRA website at http://cpisra.org/world-games/ within the latest World Games news.

The World Games will include 4 World Games sports and 4 development sports. The World Games sports will be Athletics (including RaceRunning), Swimming, CP Football U19 World Cup and Para Taekwondo. The development sports will be Boccia, Female CP Football, Para Table Tennis and Wheelchair Slalom. The development sports will include 2 day training camp.

Anyone interested in entering should contact their national CPISRA member. A list of CPISRA national members is available at http://cpisra.org/home-2-2/membership/member-profiles/ . If your country is not listed or your country is not sending a team then please refer to http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-faq/# .

In addition, the local organising committee have released their Games dedicated website http://www.cpworldgames.com/ .

We appreciate the challenge of funding participation and that many participates will need to raise funds. At http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-funding/ there is a long list of self fund raising ideas for athletes.

If you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact Sam Turner, CPISRA Events & Relationship Manager at sam.turner@cpisra.org .

The Local Organising Committee (FECPC) has released invitation to compete to CPISRA Member countries. Inviting athletes, coaches, staff, officials and volunteers to be part of the CPISRA World Games 2018 in Sant Cugat - Barcelona, Spain.

Click below for to read the Invitation.

INVITATION - CPISRA World Games 2018

Further information on the World Games is available at the Games dedicate website http://www.cpworldgames.com.
CPISRA appreciates the challenge for Members and Athletes in funding participation and we hope the advance notice provided by this Invitation and prior announcements helps with planning. At http://cpisra.org/world-games/wg-funding/ there is a long list of self fund raising ideas for athletes.

Graham Condie, CPISRA Research Officer, has today published the first of what will be a series of articles relating to understanding and recognising CP participation in sport, recreation and exercise. Graham’s first article is titled “Understanding Cerebral Palsy”. 

To read the Summary and/or the Full Article click the following links. If you have any questions or comments please email Graham at graham.condie@cpisra.org .

Summary - Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Full Article - Understanding Cerebral Palsy

The following is the abstract from the article :

Inclusion within sports, recreation, fitness and exercise is essential as every individual has the right to engage, participate in and have a choice of different sports, recreation, fitness and exercise activities. This is no different for individuals who have Cerebral Palsy. Although, in society, one of the main issues is how to make activities accessible and inclusive for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, within society there can be little understanding and appreciation of how different medical conditions can effect different individuals and what this means when trying to engage in an activity. Therefore, the aim of this article is to give readers an understanding of Cerebral Palsy and how it can affect different individuals. It will also discuss the different types and forms of Cerebral Palsy, how it can affect individuals as well as the importance of recognising the individual even though they may have Cerebral Palsy.

Dr Peter Van de Vliet, IPC Science and Medical Director pictured with researchers at CPISRA RaceRunning World Championships. The researchers from Edinburgh University, Queen Margaret University and CPISRA undertook evidence based classification, physiology and movement research throughout the week of the championships. With 30 plus athletes directly participating in the research. CPISRA would like to thank all those who were involved with this valuable research.

The CPISRA RaceRunning World Championships and International RaceRunning Camp was held last week in Frederiksberg, Denmark. The competition and camp grows each year, with 98 athletes from 13 countries (Austria, Brazil, Denmark, England, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, The Faroe Island and USA) competing in the biggest one yet. Athletes can participate in three training days at the Camp before the three days of competition begins. 

As usual athletes produced fantastic races with many exciting close finishes and a spectacular total of twenty world records. RR1’s Henrik Eriksson broke the 400m and 800m world record, Muninder Singh Hayer broke the 200m world record, Marika Vaihnger broke the 200m world record and junior Levi Hanusarson broke the 100m world record. RR2’s Lasse Kroman broke the 5000m world record, Rie Lynge Rasmussen broke the 1500m and 5000m world record and junior Hannibal Caderberg broke the 100m, 200m and 400m world records. RR3’s Gavin Drysdale broke the 400m and 1500m world records and Thea Berggren Jorgensen broke the 5000m world record. RR3’s juniors Sayer Grooms broke the 200m, 400m, 8000m and 1500m world record, Vanessa Berg broke the 200m world record and Kristine Hagen Jabobsen broke the 100m world record.  

A representative from the IPC attended the three days of competition which created an excited buzz around the competition which motivated the athletes even more.   

This year the CPISRA World Championships allowed significant progress to be made in the development of RaceRunning as a sport. Research teams from Edinburgh University, Queen Margaret University and CPISRA researchers collected data including measurements to help aid the development of an evidence based classification system for RaceRunning and monitoring heart rate and speed of athletes when they are both training and competing. Over 30 athletes happily volunteered to participate in the research which will help to aid the future of RaceRunning.

CPISRA are delighted to announce that the Federació Esportiva Catalana de Paralítics Cerebrals (FECPC) have been selected to host the 2018 CPISRA World Games. The Games’ emphasis is to provide a development and learning experience to help prepare talented athletes for future sporting success at high profile international events.

CPISRA are delighted that the Federació Esportiva Catalana de Paralítics Cerebrals (FECPC) have successfully bid and been selected by the CPISRA Executive Committee to host the 2018 CPISRA World Games.

The FECPC was created in 1990 as a sport group supporting sports suited for people affected by cerebral palsy and cerebral injury. Most recently, FECPC hosted the 2016 IFCPF Pre-Paralympic Tournament in Salou and joint 2016 General Assembly for CPISRA and IFCPF in Sant Cugat.

“We are ready launch new initiatives that will broaden our efforts to create opportunities for athletes with cerebral injuries to play in the sport they love.”

Dates:
The 2018 CPISRA World Games will take place during the first two weeks of August 2018.

Location:
Sant Cugat hosted in the last three years some of the most important CP major sport events in the World. In 2013, the FECPC efficiently organized the 2013 CPISRA Intercontinental Cup, held at Sant Cugat del Vallès with the participation from 16 of the most prominent teams from around the world. In
2014, we organized the 2014 CPISRA General Assembly, which was held in October in Sant Cugat with about delegates from all around the
world. In 2015, the FECPC was awarded with the 2015 Boccia European Continental Cup as one of the BISFed associated members showing to the rest of the world their capacity and willingness to hold these kinds of sportive events for disabled people. Is an
open and welcoming city that mixes the riches of his historic patrimony with a great range of entertainment opportunities.

Facility:
The Centre d'alt Rendiment (CAR) High Performance Centre is an organization which gives support to sport so that it can be competitive at an international level, optimizing resources of the highest technical and scientific quality. The CAR has a hall of residence for training camps. A lot of national and international sports teams use the CAR for their preparation (football, handball, volleyball, hockey, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, taekwondo, etc)

Competition Programme:
FECPC feels an important event such as the CPISRA World Games is a very good opportunity to include recognized sports with a lot of CP athletes involved and spread the CPISRA message. CAR facilities will allow us to concentrate most sports in the same facility, taking the opportunity to deliver the greatest World Games ever delivered specially in terms of number of participants.

The competition programme will look to include Athletics (including RaceRunning); Para-Taekwondo; Swimming; and Wheelchair Slalom. The Games will also stage the 2018 IFCPF World Championships Under 19.

FECPC will be working with CPISRA, and International Sports Federations, to include additional sports such as Boccia and Table Tennis.

About the CPISRA World Games
Cerebral Palsy Sport (England) hosted the first CPISRA World Games for ten years when they hosted the inspirational Nottingham 2015 CPISRA World Games. With FECPC to host the 2018 CPISRA World Games it represents the reestablishment of the CPISRA World Games to be held every 4 years.

The World Games is aligned to the following CPISRA’s strategic aims:

• Increase CP participation in sports and recreation across the world.
• Facilitate international competition pathways for CP athletes to progress from grass roots participation to elite competition, with emphasis on Youth and High Dependency Athletes.
• Increase and improve CP sport and recreational opportunities.
• Following our development of Boccia and CP Football, to continue to facilitate and support the development of adaptive sports.

In accordance with the above aims, the key objectives of the CPISRA World Games are:

• To allow CP athletes to achieve their best performance at international competition by providing appropriate conditions and services in an operationally sound environment.
• To provide a multi-sport event that delivers a learning experience that will help prepare athletes for future sporting success at major events such as the Paralympics.
• To create a friendly and supportive Games environment that encourages and develops athletes, team management, officials, coaches and volunteers.
• To emphasize youth and enable high dependency athlete participation.
• To act as a catalyst for enhancing CP opportunity and participation in sport and recreation.

To receive updates click below to register your interest:

Register your interest here

Should CPISRA hold and encourage international sports and/or activity camps? If so what sort of camps?

We would very much like your help to answer these questions, please complete one of the relevant questionnaires below. We would like lots of people around the world to complete a questionnaire so please let others know.

This questionnaire is part of research that CPISRA is doing into the demand for sports camps and recreational activity camps for individuals with Cerebral Palsy or other neurological conditions. The research is also looking at individuals’ participation in sports and recreation. Any data from this questionnaire will be used to help CPISRA to increase the number of opportunities available for people with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions. The questionnaire's will be open for completion until 15th November 2017.

Thank you.

Questionnaire for individuals with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions

Questionnaire for parents, carers and guardians

Questionnaire for professionals

Please note professionals includes teachers, support workers, therapists, doctors, coaches, etc., who work with individuals with Cerebral Palsy and similar conditions.

If you have any inquiries, please email Graham Condie, CPISRA Research Officer at graham.condie@cpisra.org.

Following on from CPISRA’s announcement in April that CPISRA Federació Esportiva Catalana de Paralítics Cerebrals (FECPC) had been selected to host the 2018 CPISRA World Games, we are extremely pleased to convey that the contract to hold the Games has been signed with FECPC. We therefore confirm the 2018 CPISRA World Games will be held in Sant Cugat, Spain in August, 2018.

FECPC will shortly be releasing Call for Intention to Compete and the subsequent entry timetable will be as follows:

October 2017: Intention to Compete;

December 2017 : First entry registration;

March 2018 : Second entry payment;

May 2018  : Final Payment.

Click Draft_Schedule_World_Games_2018 for an overview of the schedule for the Games. The Opening Ceremony will be held on Sunday, 5th August and a Games Celebration Ceremony will be held Friday evening, 11th August. You will note from the schedule that arrival and departure date options are listed by Sport. This flexibility recognises the variation in length of competition across Sports and is also to help reduce cost of entry. Team members of a country may all arrive and depart together or separately, depending on the sport in which individual team members are competing.

The LOC (Local Organising Committee) recognises the financial challenge the participants may have in entering the Games and is striving to minimise cost of entry whilst delivering a wonderful and memorable Games. CPISRA has added fund raising ideas to their website. The daily fee for entry is yet to be finalised, however, it will likely be within the range €125 - €135 per day. For each of the Games’ “development sports”; Boccia, Female Football, Table Tennis and Wheelchair Slalom we are planning a development camp and competition. Also an entry fee excluding accommodation will be offered to encourage local and development participation in the Games “development sports”. Details to be released soon.

Over the next month CPISRA will release further entry and competition details as they are finalised. We encourage people interested in the Games from both participation and awareness aspects to register to receive the Games updates click the link below.

 Register Interest  

The CPISRA RaceRunning World Championship which is being held between the 13th to the 15th of July in Copenhagen, Denmark, is almost upon us. It is very much a global competition as there will be athletes from many different countries including Austria, Brazil, Denmark, England, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Spain, The Faroe Islands and United States of America. This year’s championship is the biggest yet with a record breaking 98 athletes competing and 270 participants in total.

On Saturday 27^th May 2017, Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh collaborated with CPIRSA and researchers from Edinburgh University in order to stage the first RaceRunning Seminar within Scotland.

The day was very much a success as over 10 guest speakers from 4 different countries presented at the Seminar, each sharing their perspective on RaceRunning. Guest speakers included the Danish co-founder of RaceRunning, Connie Hansen, Dr Petra van Schie of VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and Dr Liz Bryant of Chailey Heritage Clinical Services, England.

The morning session focused on the history of RaceRunning and the many benefits of the sport, whilst the afternoon session concentrated on the mechanics of a running bike and the exciting research being conducted by Edinburgh University in partnership with QMU. Also, PhD students from Edinburgh University displayed their posters about their RaceRunning related projects

CPIRSA was delighted to see that such a cross section of people attended the Seminar and to receive very positive feedback on the Seminar from various perspective. The attendees included academic researchers, university students, coaches, parents, athletes, sport administrators, volunteers and manufactures.

For more information on this event, please click: QMU RR Seminar Programme

CPISRA would like to take this opportunity to thank #RaceRunning Sweden, in particular, Vicki Skure-Eriksson for hosting the first international RaceRunning Assembly. The Assembly was a great success with over 140 athletes, coaches and classifiers from 11 countries taking part in the event. Well Done Sweden! Attached is the write up of the event by Craig Carscadden, CPISRA Head of Development and Education.

170305 RaceRunning Assembly Uppsala Sweden 23rd to 26th February-1

CPISRA representatives attend the IPC Classification Research Forum held in Bonn, Germany 9-10 February 2017. From left to right in photo, Joan Steele-Mills, CPISRA Head of Classification,  Nicola Tennant (RaceRunning Scotland), Dr Martine Verheul (Edinburgh University) and Dr Marietta van der Linden (Queen Margaret University). Martine, Marietta and Nicola are leading the evidence based RaceRunning classification research being undertaken in collaboration with CPISRA.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to publish their latest education tool entitled Parents’ Guide to Support Clean Sport. Specifically designed for parents of athletes, this education resource is intended to inform them about essential topics so that they can assist with clean athlete development by preventing the use of substances and methods prohibited in sport. The short booklet covers basic facts and includes links to websites with further information for parents on the following topics:

• Promoting good values
• Identifying a healthy sport culture
• Finding balance
• Nutrition
• The risks of supplements
• Doping risk factors
• Periods when athletes are more vulnerable to doping
• Preventing the use of prohibited substances
• Protecting the clean athlete – the doping control process
• Recognizing possible signs and symptoms of drug use
• What to do if your child is doping

“Generally, the athlete-parent relationship is the only one that is a constant throughout an athlete’s career, regardless of the level of involvement or influence of the parent,” said Rob Koehler, WADA Deputy Director General and Director of Education. “Coaches and support personnel come and go, so athletes, particularly younger athletes, commonly look to their parents as the first point of contact on many matters,” Koehler continued. “Parents need to constantly monitor their child’s environment to identify potential risk factors,” he said. “This tool will be a starting point to equip parents with the right information about clean sport and anti-doping. The booklet now being published by WADA provides this information and acts as a reference point for further learning.”   Current social science research highlights parents as particularly influential persons in young athlete populations. Parents shape their children’s personal ethics, which then guides their behaviors and their approach to sport throughout their career. Research also shows that parents, as a group, lack knowledge of anti-doping, which is why it is important that they be prioritized with targeted anti-doping education, providing them with the information they need to help guide their children*.   The Parents’ Guide to Support Clean Sport is available in online and print versions, in English, French and Spanish in the Education section of the WADA website: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/education-tools. *Erickson, K. Backhouse, S.H., & Carless, D. Doping in Sport: Do Parents Matter? Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. Vol 6(2), May 2017, 115-128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spy0000081

Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is partnering with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) and the newly-formed Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to deliver the latest installment of its Legacy Outreach Program, during the IAAF Junior World Championships in Nairobi, Kenya from 12 – 17 July. The Agency’s Legacy Outreach Program, which is delivered during major international sports events, provides additional support to Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) in developing and delivering sustainable anti-doping awareness programs. This partnership will raise awareness and promote clean sport to a generation of young athletes, while leaving behind an array of resources for ADAK to use again in the future. “WADA is pleased to partner with ADAK and the Athletics Integrity Unit to bring the Legacy Outreach Program to young athletes in Nairobi, Kenya,” said Olivier Niggli, Director General, WADA. “The Program has proven to be a great way to work hand in hand with our partners in creating global awareness of anti-doping with athletes and their entourage,” Niggli continued. “By working together and creating resources that can be leveraged time and time again, WADA’s investment has a lasting and meaningful impact,” he continued.    “Along with WADA, ADAK believes that raising awareness is the first step to building understanding,” said Japhter Rugut, CEO of ADAK. “WADA’s Legacy Outreach Program and the knowledge-sharing that this unique partnership brings is greatly appreciated,” Rugut added. “The resources developed by WADA for ADAK will be used for this event and many other events in Kenya, in the future,” he continued. “As a complement to values-based education, Legacy Outreach is one of the best ways to curb doping by reaching athletes as early as possible; informing them of the many anti-doping resources at their disposal; and, informing them of the channels they have to voice concerns regarding any doping that may exist within their teams or federations.”   “The AIU is pleased to partner with WADA and ADAK at one of the IAAF’s biggest events for youth,” said David Howman, Chair of the AIU. “At this early stage in their athletic careers, athletes must be fully empowered to know their rights and responsibilities and we are pleased to play our part in this regard.”   The Legacy Outreach team, which is made up of members from ADAK, AIU and WADA, will be led by athlete ambassadors Tegla Loroupe and Paula Radcliffe. Loroupe, who is a member of WADA’s Athlete Committee, is probably best known as the first African female to win the New York Marathon; and as having led the Refugee Team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Radcliffe, a member of the IAAF’s Athlete Committee, currently holds the world record in the marathon. Both athletes are vocal supporters of the clean sport movement and have firsthand knowledge of the pressures surrounding doping in sport. The Outreach team will invite athletes, coaches and other support staff to take part in fun and educational activities. They will be encouraged to complete the Play True Quiz, which is now available in 39 languages, to sign the Clean Sport Pledge and to share their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #CleanSport. On behalf of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Paula Radcliffe will encourage athletes to sign the AIU’s Athletes’ Pledge, through which competitors can demonstrate their commitment to clean athletics.

Montreal, 3 August 2017  Dear Stakeholders,   WADA is seeking nominations for candidates to sit on its standing committees in 2018, in accordance with its policy for committee composition and rotation. Positions become vacant each year and WADA is inviting stakeholders to look within their respective regions and organizations to put forward suitable candidates.   Following are the Committee vacancies:

• Athlete Committee – five terms
• Education Committee – six terms
• Finance and Administration Committee – two terms
• Health, Medical and Research Committee – four terms
• Compliance Review Committee - no vacancies*

*The Compliance Review Committee (CRC) was formalized as a new WADA Standing Committee in November 2016. A new rotation policy is now being implemented and there are no vacant seats available at this time.   The current composition of the Committees can be found on WADA’s website.   Submissions should include an appropriate letter of endorsement and a curriculum vitae providing full information on the candidate’s experience and expertise.   Please forward all nominations to Ms. Marjorie Chinnarassen of WADA’s Executive Office (email marjorie.chinnarassen@wada-ama.org or fax +1 514 904 8743) by Friday 6 October 2017. Thank you for your support in this process.   Best regards,   World Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is pleased to inform you that the 14^th edition of its Annual Symposium will be held from Wednesday, 21 March to Friday, 23 March 2018 at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The WADA Symposium, which is the main event on the global anti-doping calendar, is a unique and practical annual event that offers anti-doping stakeholders the opportunity to gather, interact and learn from one another. The Symposium is designed for practitioners from International Federations, Athlete Commission Representatives, National and Regional Anti-Doping Organizations, Major Event Organizers and other stakeholders that are integral to clean sport including representatives from government, WADA-accredited laboratories and Athlete Passport Management Units.

Please note that further details, including a draft agenda and logistical information, will be provided when registration opens in November 2017.

In the meantime, please save these dates and feel free to send any questions or input related to the Symposium to WADA’s European Office Coordinator, Ms. Sibylle Villard, at sibylle.villard@wada-ama.org.

Montreal, 15 June 2017

Dear Colleagues,

If you have not already registered for WADA’s 4th Therapeutic Use Exemption Symposium, please note that the deadline to register is 31 August 2017 and, for hotel reservations, 6 September 2017. This two-day programme, specifically tailored for physicians, will be held on 21-22 September 2017 at the Scandic Grand Marina Congress Center in Helsinki, Finland.

Organizations can confirm their participation via the online registration platform.

Registration for this event is for one physician per organization. It is likely that we will accept a second participant, space permitting. If your organization would like to register a second person, please do so and we will include this participant on our waiting list.

The primary objective of the meeting is to unify our approach to the TUE process, ensuring that athletes with genuine medical conditions remain fully engaged in sport despite their need for the use of a prohibited substance or method. A unique opportunity will be offered to representatives from National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) and International Federations (IFs) to meet in a common forum to discuss issues of mutual importance.

The two-day programme addresses challenging and timely topics including contentious TUE case studies, cultural influences on the granting of TUEs and Prohibited List criteria as they relate to TUEs. Also on the agenda will be talks on retroactive TUEs, the effect of possible future ISTUE revisions and other medico-legal topics. A special hands-on session will address practical real life challenges in anti-doping and showcase tested strategies of experienced professionals. Talks at the Symposium will be delivered through a lively combination of podium presentations and interactive discussions.

We look forward to your participation at this unique event.

Sincerely,

World Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announces that, in accordance with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), Sir Craig Reedie, Chairman of WADA’s Executive Committee, has approved lifting the suspension of the accreditation of the Doping Analysis Laboratory in Doha, Qatar. This reinstatement allows the Doha Laboratory to resume all of its anti-doping activities, including all analyses of urine and blood samples, with immediate effect.

The Doha Laboratory, which had its accreditation suspended on 7 November 2016 due to non-conformities with the ISL, has successfully resolved the non-conformities, and has acted on all recommendations that arose from an assessment conducted by the Laboratory Expert Group. As such, on 11 April 2017, the WADA Laboratory Expert Group recommended that the suspension be lifted.

“WADA is pleased to confirm that the Doha Laboratory’s accreditation has been reinstated approximately five months after the laboratory was suspended,” said WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli. “We would like to commend the Laboratory for the cooperation and hard work that led to this reinstatement. We are confident that the laboratory has corrected its deficiencies; and, our Laboratory Expert Group will now continue to monitor the laboratory’s performance to ensure that it operates to the high standards required by WADA,” he added.

Pursuant to the ISL, WADA is responsible for accrediting and re-accrediting anti-doping laboratories; thereby, ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. Whenever a laboratory does not meet ISL requirements, WADA may decide to suspend or revoke the laboratory’s accreditation. The high number of laboratory suspensions in 2016 and 2017 have been a direct result of the more stringent quality assessment procedures enacted by WADA to ensure laboratories maintain the highest standards.

As stipulated within the ISL, this decision to reinstate the Doha laboratory is communicated to all relevant national public authorities; national accreditation bodies; National Anti-Doping Organizations; National Olympic Committees; International Federations and the International Olympic Committee.