YEREVAN, MARCH 1, ARMENPRESS: Two Armenian mountain-skiers from Pyunik club of disabled persons, Mher Avanesian and Great Khndzrtsian, will participate in the Paralympic Turin 2006 Winter Games.
Though the two Armenian skiers failed to qualify for the Games they have been granted so-called ‘card blanche,’ by the International Paralympic Committee in order to promote development of sport among people with physical disorders. Paralympics will runs from March 10 to 19 in Turin and over 500 disabled athletes from 39 countries will compete in the IX Paralympics.
The first Olympic Games for athletes with a disability took place in Rome in 1960. In Toronto in 1976, other disability groups were added while in the same year, the first Paralympic Winter Games took place in Sweden. The number of athletes participating in Summer Paralympic Games has increased from 400 athletes from 23 countries in Rome to over 3,800 athletes from 136 countries in Athens in 2004.
Organizers hope to attract around 250,000 spectators to the Olympic venues in Pragelato, Sestriere and Turin and will be hoping that the 250 planned anti-doping controls all return negative.
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