Sport as a Rehabilitation Tool for Integration

This year the Annual Meeting of the UBC Commission on Sport was held in Aalborg (Denmark) between 11^th - 13^th April. The meeting was devoted to building a common platform of integration for the disabled and elderly people with the local community by means of sports activities.

Aalborg's extensive experience in the organisation of activities for elderly people known as Senior Sport Project may be a good example and an inspiration for other cities. As it is commonly known sport is a tool, which integrates various social groups as well as assists the disabled in overcoming the obstacles of their own disability. During a study visit in the Association for Disabled in Aalborg the members of the UBC Commission on Sport had an occasion to see what it is like to be a disabled person. The Association representatives presented various forms of sports activities addressed to people of different disability degrees.

Moreover, during the meeting the UBC Commission on Sport members elected their new chairperson - Mrs Beata Legowska from Gdynia.

With respect to the celebrations of the European Year of People with Disabilities as well as the realisation of UBC Social Charter, the UBC Commission on Sport chairperson announced the competition for "Equal Opportunities Prize".

The Prize will be awarded for the best sporting event with participation of people with disabilities. The competition is addressed to all UBC member cities. The deadline for submission of application forms is 1st October 2003. The city whose sporting event will be chosen by the Competition Committee as the best organised one will receive the prize of 3000 euros. The presentation of the Equal Opportunities Prize will take place during VII UBC Conference General in Klaipeda (Lithuania) in October 2003.

The regulations and an application form are available on UBC Commission on Sport website: www.ubc.net/commissions/sport.html.