BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons commended the preparation work and the commitment of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics during a video interview with Xinhua.
"I'm very confident that what we will see in about a year will surprise and amaze the whole world," said Parsons. "I do think that the Beijing 2022 Paralympics will be held as scheduled."
With around one year to go, a tailored test program for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games went off well in February with stringent anti-COVID-19 measures in place. Parsons was "very positive" about the preparations for Beijing 2022 and the virus prevention and control measures that were taken.
"We are following what the authorities in China are doing when it comes to the countermeasures against COVID-19 since the beginning of the crisis."
"We are doing everything that we can together with the Chinese authorities together with the Beijing 2022 organizing committee to offer not only the best platform on earth for you to showcase your abilities and your performances but also the safest," said Parsons.
The IPC chief also acknowledged China's effort and progress on promoting the well-being of people with disabilities, increasing awareness of this social issue at a global level.
"We go step by step with the Games and of course being in China, which is a country that has an incredible track record in terms of Paralympic sport and also the impact that the Beijing 2008 games had on the population of persons with disabilities in China, I think it's a good way to amplify this message," Parsons commented.
"I think like everything the Chinese do, they are able to amplify and create another level of magnitude. For example, the investment that China is making in winter Para sports is amazing. The number of people that they want to reach, the number of persons with disabilities that they want to be engaged in winter sport is just incredible," he added.
"We are very confident that we will be able to put an incredible Games together and we believe that for the Paralympic Winter Games, Beijing 2022 can be a change maker as the 2008 edition of the Games was for the Summer Paralympics." Enditem