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"Integration of the disabled through sport" - was the motto of the 8th Annual Meeting of UBC Commission on Sport which was held between 15-16 March 2002 in Karlskrona (Sweden). Representatives of 13 cities from Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden participated in the meeting. Among formal issues discussed at the meeting there was last year’s Commission Activity Report. In addition, a new deputy chairman and a host city of 2003 Commission on Sport Meeting were elected.

The newly elected deputy chairman is Mr Magnus Johansson, a politician, Chairman of Sport Department in the Karlskrona Municipality, who took over from Mr Björn Fries, Deputy Mayor of Karlskrona and Commission on Sport co-founder.

Aalborg (Denmark) was selected host city of next year's Commission on Sport Meeting.  Moreover, the Commission decided to support financially sporting events in UBC member cities by allocating small grants. This year the emphasis was put on the participation of disabled sportsmen. As a consequence the patronage was given to the following events:

  1. International Festival of the Disabled in Wheelchairs "White Nights", 21-24.06.2002, St. Petersburg
  2. Cesis Sport Festival for Handicapped Persons, 20-24.07.2002, Cesis
  3. European Road Race, 11.05.2002, Gdynia
  4. UBC Tournament of Basketball Players in Wheelchairs 30.11-01.12.2002, Panevezys
  5. International Basketball Tournament for the Deaf People 11-12.10, Panevezys
  6. The 3rd City Sport Games, 19-22.09.2002, Siaulai
  7. 26th International Chess Tournament - Baltic Cup, 16-26.06.2002, Koszalin
  8. 1st International Tournament in  Disco Dance, 16-26.06.2002, Koszalin
  9. Baltic Night Fever Marathon, 3-4.08.2002, Rostock

One of the ways of coming out from disability and integrating with the society is sport activity. It enables the disabled to improve their physical fitness and at the same time builds up their own trust, self-confidence, and offers greater independence and freedom. We could also hear about these important aspects during the presentation of Mrs Beata Wachowiak, Mayor’s Plenipotentiary on the Disabled in Gdynia, who presented Polish system of municipal care and Gdynia’s activity in the scope of the disabled activation.

From the presentation of Mr Thomas Hall, Leisure Recreation Officer for the Disabled from Karlskrona as well as from the presentation of Mr Lars Hjeltman, Swedish Sports Confederation representation we learned about Swedish model of the disabled activation, which has long standing experience as well as is well-developed at the state and local (municipal) level.

Presented by its chairman Mr. Jan Sörensen, Sport Association deserves a word of recognition for its activity as well. Danish Sport Association from Aalborg associates 660 members ranging from children to adults with all types of disability, offering over 20 various sport activities.

Danish, Polish and Swedish experience in the activation of the disabled has confirmed that through sports the disabled learn to set goals in their daily lives, develop new interests, to express their feelings, find new solutions. Sport also helps them to become responsible and assertive. Certainly Commission on Sport annual meeting did not exhaust the topic but just started the discussion to be continued next year. See you in Aalborg in 2003.

Further information:
Ms Ewa Depka
Commission on Sport Co-ordinator
City of Gdynia
Tel. +48 58 620 83 12
e-mail: umgdyfor@miasto.gdynia.pl

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