Helsinki – Finland, Sept 26, 2012: Special Olympics (SO) is the largest sports organisation for persons with Intellectual Disability with more than 3,7 million officially registered athletes and 0,5 million coaches in 183 countries in all Regions of the World. Special Olympics include 33 different sports, 26 summer sports, 7 winter sports Floorball being the youngest sport in this long list.
Floorball a demonstration sport in SO World Winter Games in PyeongChang, Korea 2013.
The 10th SO World Winter Games is a multi-sport event for athletes with intellectual disability and will take place from January 29th to February 5th 2013. In addition to floorball the SO athletes will compete in eight sports including Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snow Shoeing and Speed Skating.
The Special Olympics Sports Committee (CTAC) selected 78 European Programs (nations) for the Floorball demo in 2013 World Games (WG) in Korea: Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Russia, Austria, Sweden and the 8th country will be South Korea. So Floorball in Korea 2013 will be played with 3 players + goalies on the field and each team will consist of an 8 persons squad + 2 coaches in each team.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world’s largest year-round program of sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. More than 3,7 million athletes worldwide (half a million in 58 countries across Europe and Eurasia) in more than 170 countries train and compete in 33 Olympic-style summer and winter sports at local, national and international events.
Through its sports programs, Special Olympics strives to provide long-term benefits to individuals’ health, self-esteem and social integration. Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organisations recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Special Olympics provides sports opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels. Paralympics provides opportunities for elite-level athletes with disabilities.
The SO World Games
Alternating between summer and winter, the Special Olympics World Games are one of the world’s largest sporting events, drawing as many, if not more, athletes than the Olympics. Every two years since 1968, athletes from more than 100 nations have gathered to celebrate sport and showcase the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities.
More Special Olympics information:
Special Olympic 2013 World Games: www.2013sopoc.org/hb/en
Special Olympic website: www.specialolympics.org/
Special Olympics Europe Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympics#!/SOEuropeEurasia —- IFF
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.