Andrew Parsons is set to serve another term as President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), this time unopposed. Parsons was the only candidate that ran for IPC President role. Previously, he had succeeded Britain’s Sir Philip Craven as President of the IPC, who served for 16 years from 2001 to 2017.
One of Parson’s main challenges was organizing the Tokyo Paralympics through COVID-related restrictions. Parsons was tasked with delivering an invigorating atmosphere that featured no spectators, while prioritizing the safety of all participants. Parsons has demonstrated that his priority is providing the same Olympic experience for athletes with disabilities.
After the success of the Tokyo Paralympics, Parsons stated: “I think we sent a very important message to the world that persons with disabilities are out there, 1.2 billion people, cannot be ignored.”
Parsons also welcomed two Afghan athletes to the Paralympics amidst the chaos that erupted in August. Houssain Rasouli and Zakia Khudadadi were both able to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics when all hope seemed to have been lost. Khudadadi (taekwondo) was the first woman in history to represent Afghanistan in the Paralympics.
New Zealand’s Duane Kale will also serve another term unopposed as the IPC Vice President.
A total of 26 candidates, including Parsons and Kale have been selected for review by the IPC. The IPC Governing Board will consist of one President, one Vice President and 10 Members at Large. Parsons’ and Kale’s roles as IPC President and Vice President are locked in, leaving 10 spots open for Members at Large positions. Kale has been nominated for two positions, but can only be elected for one position.
Candidates – Member at Large (10 Available Spots)
- Debra Alexander (South Africa – World Triathlon)
- Mohamed Alhameli (UAE – NPC)
- Jai-Jun Chung (Korea – NPC)
- Leonel da Rocha Pinto (Angola – NPC)
- Muffy Davis (USA – NPC)
- Chelsey Gotell (Canada – NPC)
- Khatab Hayat (Egypt – NPC)
- Sabrina Ibanez (Switzerland – FEI)
- Duane Kale (New Zealand – NPC)
- Tanja Kari (Finland – NPC)
- Miki Matheson (Japan – NPC)
- Ming-Chu Mu (Chinese Taipei – NPC)
- Luca Pancalli (Italy – NPC)
- John Petersson (Denmark – NPC)
- Juan Pablo Salazar (Colombia – NPC)
- Karl Quade (Germany – NPC)
- Majid Rashed (UAE – Asian Paralympic Committee)
- Ehud Rassabi (Israel – NPC)
- Tim Reddish (UK – NPC)
- Imran Jamil Shami (Pakistan – NPC)
- Gursharan Singh (India – NPC)
- Robyn Smith (Australia – Virtus)
- László Szabó (Hungary – NPC)
- Esther Vergeer (Netherlands – NPC)
- Jianmin Zhou (China – NPC)
These candidates will stand for election on Sunday, December 12th at the IPC General Assembly in Taipei City, Chinese Taipei. At the IPC General Assembly, candidates will be voted on by the IPC membership which consists of National Paralympic Committees (NPC), International Sport Federations, International Organizations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSDs) and Regional Organizations.
You can read the full announcement from the International Paralympic Committee here.