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British Paralympic Association Seeks Tomorrow?s Stars

The British Paralympic Association (BPA) has embarked on a massive campaign in an attempt to draw new stars for its disabled team and get them into shape for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, due to be held in London. The campaign will be run from a grassroots level and will target schools where young, disabled students will be told about their opportunities in the field of sports.

The BPA plans to distribute CD-roms in schools nationwide, where disabled children are mainstreamed, to let these youngsters learn about the various options available to them in the field of sports. Most schools have sport facilities that cater to fully functioning children, and disabled youngsters are usually left out when it comes to competitions and other opportunities. Driven by a big boost to its budget, the BPA aims to target these disabled students and help them identify the right sport for them. It is hoped that among the many children who will benefit from this program, some will reveal real talent and take part in the 2012 paralympics in London.

The BPA has long understood that without an intensive campaign, its paralympic team has no real future. While there are a few talented players involved ? such as wheelchair-bound athlete Tanni Grey Thompson ? there are no promising stars on the horizon. It is hoped that by creating a national database to find suitable sports opportunities for budding disabled sportspeople, and by pumping plenty of pounds into the project, the 2012 Paralympics team will come out proud.