The Organising Committee for the 2015 Inas Global Games has announced the appointment of Sarah Price (UK) as their International Relations Officer, with immediate effect.

Sarah will assume responsibility for all communication between the Organising Committee and Inas members.

Sarah’s first language is English, but she also speaks fluent Spanish, having lived and worked in Ecuador and in Chile. She has previously worked as a translator/interpreter for Inas and is a qualified Spanish and French teacher with some knowledge of Portuguese and she holds a BA Hons degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies. Sarah has worked with young people with intellectual disabilities both in a specialist college and in employment services. She is an active, sporty person and at weekends she coaches minis rugby.

“I’m very excited about the appointment, and really looking forward to contributing to what promises to be a truly fantastic event.”

President of the Organising Committee in Guayaquil, Juan Carlos Araujo, added “I am delighted that Sarah has accepted this position. Her fluency in English and Spanish, her familiarity with Latin American culture and her knowledge of Inas together make her an invaluable addition to the Organising Committee”.

Sarah will be based in the UK and can be contacted at global.games@inas.org

Inas is looking for qualified psychologists to join its international Eligiblity Panel. The panel of volunteers works under the direction of the Inas Eligibility Committee and is responsible for assessing athlete primary eligibility applications.

For further details, please visit the vacancies page.

The Australian Open Tennis Championships began yesterday with 43 players with an intellectual disability (31 men, 12 women), including 4 entries from the USA and 2 from Japan.

The event, now in its 17th year, is sanctioned by Inas.

The Championships are attached to the Australian Open and have attracted a large number of entries with all players enjoying the good weather and great facilities. The influx of international players has been welcomed by Tennis Australia and the Australian players who are enjoying the increased profile and additional competition.

With players from several other countries expressing interest in the Championships organisers are looking forward to a greater international presence in 2015.

Players will play singles and doubles over three days with finals to be played at Melbourne Park on Saturday the 25^th of January.

Following the Championships there will be a match between Australia and the USA in Benalla played on grass courts.

Inas, the International Federation for sport for para-athletes with an intellectual disability has reached an agreement with the World Taekwondo Federation to include taekwondo as a demonstration sport in the 2015 Inas Global Games.

The decision reflects the World Taekwondo Federation’s ongoing commitment to making taekwondo accessible for all and follows an agreement signed between the two organisations earlier this year in June.  As part of the agreement WTF will increase its efforts to promote taekwondo for athletes with an intellectual disability throughout the world by working closely with its national federations to further develop the sport within those nations.

President of the World Taekwondo Federation, Chungwon Choue, said:

“It is an honour for para-taekwondo to be included as a demonstration sport in the 2015 Inas Global Games. Inas has done an excellent job in promoting sports for athletes with an intellectual disability for over twenty years and we are extremely excited about the opportunity to work with them. We look forward to learning from their vast experience and expertise in order to develop para-taekwondo further.”

Inas was formed in 1985 and has grown to a membership of more than 65 nations across the world, representing many thousands of athletes with an intellectual disability. The Inas Global Games, held every four years, is the largest sporting event for elite athletes with an intellectual disability and features World Championship competition in seven sports. More than 1000 athletes are expected to compete at the next Global Games in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 2015. Taekwondo is the first demonstration sport to be confirmed on the programme.

Nick Parr, Inas Executive Director, explained:

“Inas is delighted to see para-taekwondo added to the programme. The decision is a recognition of the commitment made by WTF to create more competitive opportunities for athletes with an intellectual disability, and I look forward to seeing the sport develop over the coming years”.