CBM supports Chinese Paralympic athletes at Beijing ceremony

Countdown to Paralympics 2008 in Beijing: Wolfgang Fischer, Chairman of the Board of CBM e.v. and CBMI and Rolf Muggenburg, Continental Director of CBMI hand over a cheque worth 1.1m Renminbi to CDPF (China Disabled Persons Federation) to support Chinese athletes participating in the Paralympic Games. Here: Fischer(left) and Lu Shiming, Deputy Director of CDPF

CBM partners with the China Disabled Persons’ Federation to support Chinese athletes in the Paralympic Games

CBM has partnered with the China Disabled Persons’ Federation to pledge its support for Chinese athletes taking part in the Paralympic Games of the XXIX Olympiad.

CBM international board chairman Wolfgang Fischer presented a special cheque worth 1.1m Renminbi ($110,000) in Beijing before distinguished guests, media and athletes who will represent China in the Paralympics in August. Fischer said that it was a great pleasure and privilege for CBM to provide material support to Chinese athletes competing in the Games.

“The Paralympics serves as an essential part of the effort to create worldwide awareness of the talents and gifts that Persons with Disabilities have and demonstrates that they can be active and valuable participants in society,” he said.

Fischer said that the athletes in these Paralympics would be heroes, role models, messengers and an inspiration for all those persons with disabilities not yet convinced of their own abilities, as well as tangible, real examples to society as a whole of what Persons with Disabilities can achieve if given the opportunity to do so.

“When one hears the words “Sport” and “Disability” in the same sentence, it almost seems like they contradict each other. But that is not the case at all. The Paralympic Games are a wonderful public demonstration of this, focusing not on “Disability”, but “Ability”. This is the way the whole world should be seeing Persons with Disabilities,” he said.


Fischer (right), chairman of the Board of CBM e.v. and CBMI and Rolf Muggenburg (left), Continental Director of CBMI, hand over a cheque to CDPF (China Disabled Persons Federation) to support Chinese athletes participating in the Paralympic Games.

'Beneficial'

During the ceremony, Rolf Müggenburg, continental director for Asia for CBM, also presented assistive devices to athletes with disabilities. Paralympic swimmer Xie Qing thanked CBM on behalf of all the Chinese athletes with a disability for its support, adding that the orientation programme it had provided had been a great help to blind athletes in training and in their daily life.

“I am able to walk alone by using only a cane. My sense of direction is further strengthened. At the same time, CBM provides various aid facilities which are beneficial to us athletes with a disability, whether in training or in daily life,” she said.


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