SPORT FOR DISABLED

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31112, 15 July 1966, Page 1

SPORT FOR DISABLED

The establishment of an association to promote sport for the disabled received unanimous support from a meeting of about 300 in Christchurch last evening. The new body, for which a large, representative committee was elected, will be known as the Canterbury Disabled Sports Association. The public meeting was presided over by the Mayor (Mr G. Manning), who accepted the position of patron of the association at the request of the superintendent-in-chief of the North Canterbury Hospital Board (Dr. L. McH. Berry). The purpose of the meeting: was explained by Mr W. L.[ F. Utley, who is in charge of; the Paraplegic Unit in Christ-;

church, and an address was given by the Rev. L. Close, of Dunedin, Father Close, himself a paraplegic, competed for Ireland in the Para-Olym-pics at Rome in table tennis. “Next to religious conviction, sport is the greatest method of overcoming the psychic results of disability,” said Father Close. “Competitive sport, where no quarter is asked or given, is the answer to a lot of problems. This has certainly been proved overseas." Developing his theme on how paraplegics, competing against each other in sport, would win on their merits, Father Close said that disabled people at the Para-Olym-pics, for example, were not concerned with the fact that their opposition was disabled, except for the way they could [use this ability. In table tennis, the five- ; minute knock-up was used to

[find out how disabled the other person was, he said, amid laughter. Father Close said the sports most played by the disabled were basketball (“where you need to be tough”), archery (where the standard was often higher than with able-bodied persons), swimming, field events, athletics, weight-lift-ing, snooker, bowls, and fencing. He also suggested, for the Mayor’s benefit that public buildings, such a libraries, could have ramps for paraplegics as well as steps. One of the 30-odd paraplegics present also pointed out that the Centennial Pool was difficult for paraplegics to use because of the steps. “1 know there is another I councillor here.” said Mr Man- [ ning. “You can be assured that i when we get to the next coun[cil meeting, sparks will be 1 flying!”