Paralympics New Zealand Awarded Funding Bump…..Paralympics New Zealand is set to receive an additional sum of NZ$55,000 (£24,000/$37,000/€33,000) in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The organization was just one of 6 outfits to receive a funding increase for 2016. The other entities included athletics, cycling, canoeing, rugby and rowing. Said Paralympics New Zealand CEO, Fiona Allan, of the announcement, “This is the second consecutive year that funding has increased and in the current tight fiscal environment we are thrilled that HPSNZ has expressed ongoing strong confidence in our programmes and people.”
Steenbergen Earns Talent Award…..Young Dutch sprint sensation, Marrit Steenbergen, has been awarded the NSF Sports Gala’s ‘Young Talent of the Year’ Award in a ceremony this week. The 15-year-old won gold in the women’s 100m freestyle at the inaugural European Games, while also collecting 5 additional silver medals on the competition. Steenbergen also scored a silver medal as part of her nation’s 400m freestyle relay (prelims), while also registering a bronze medal result in the 100m IM most recently at the European Short Course Championships in Netanya, Israel.
Verdiend! @marrit Steenbergen wint de Talent Award, gefeliciteerd! #sportgalapic.twitter.com/5qHpmKv2en
— KNZB (@KNZBned) December 15, 2015
Commemorative Rio Olympic Stamps Available…..The cute and whimsical mascots of the Rio Olympic Games, Vinicius and Tom, highlight the 3rd and final batch of 2016 Olympic Games commemorative postal stamps. Each mascot has 2 designs all his own, with 150,000 sheets having been printed. The first 10 designs were launched in March, with the next 10 released in August, both featuring sports-themed designs including gymnastics, Paralympic swimming and sailing. This final batch of stamps comes in sheets of 25 and can be bought at Brazilian post offices. Brazilian residents can also buy them online at www.correios.com.br/correiosonlineor by email at [email protected]. An international distributor will be announced shortly.
Commemorative Stamp, courtesy of rio2016.com
Paris 2024 Crowdfunding Fails to meet Goal…..A Paris 2024 crowdfunding initiative failed to reach its funding target, yet an official bid spokesman says, the campaign “was never thought as a financing tool for the Paris 2024 bid budget.” The “Je rêve des Jeux” – which translates as “I dream of the Games” – was started up in September, with the hope of generating €10 million (£7 million/$11 million). However, as of midnight last night, the fund had reached a mere €629,356 (£457,338/$687,766). The Paris 2024 spokesman insists that the lack of meeting the funding goal was in no way an “indication of how much the French public are behind the bid.” He continued that, “Paris 2024 is now progressing its ongoing public consultation and engagement programme to ensure that our excellent public support continues to grow and we are thrilled to see that the people of Paris and France are so passionate and have expressed such a strong desire to see the Olympic and Paralympic Games come to our capital city in 2024.”