Disabled bound for Hong Kong

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 52

Disabled bound for Hong Kong

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Four world record holders are among a team of 20 paraplegic and physically disabled sportsmen and women who leave Christchurch today for international games in <,Hong Kong. The team, accompanied by escorts and management numbering another 10, will compete in the Far East and South Pacific Games. The Games are for four types of disabled competitors — amputees, blind persons, competitors suffering from cerebal palsy and paraplegics. There is one blind athlete in the team, two amputees and four cerebal palsy victims.

The other 13 are all paraplegics and among them are Graham Condon (Christchurch), who has a pentathlon world record pending; Trish Hill (Oamaru), who is the world slalom champion; Roly Crichton (Christchurch), who holds two world paraplegic swimming records; and David Miller (Rotorua)

who was joint holder of the 60m sprint. That event has been discontinued and is now a 100 m race, a distance Miller will contest in Hong Kong. Mr C. Wilkinson, the manager of the team said yesterday he was “very excited about the potential of the team.”

“It is the second largest to leave New Zealand and we hope to come back with a good number of medals. The team has been encouraged by the effort of Neroli Fairhall at the Commonwealth Games. That success has also made the public more aware of our team.” About 20 countries are expected to compete in Hong Kong, including, for the first time, a group from China.

The venture has cost $BO,OOO and most of it has come from the public who had been very generous in their support, said Mr Wilkinson.

There was a Mayoral reception for the team in Christchurch last evening.