Update on IFCPF’s application for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

IFCPF is determined to learn from the Tokyo application process in order to improve its chance of inclusion in future games.

Our first action after receiving the devastating news that our sport was not included in the Tokyo 2020 Games was to send out a questionnaire to all countries involved in CP Football to gather more detailed information about their programs and participation levels. I am pleased to advise that we received 35 responses to the questionnaire. We commissioned an independent consultant to prepare a report based on the information contained in the questionnaires and this report is now available on our website. The information will be very helpful in our efforts to provide substantiated evidence of CP Football’s worldwide reach for future applications.

Armed with the report outlining our Worldwide Reach, we met with IPC CEO Xavier Gonzalez, Chief of Staff Mike Peters, and Paralympic Games Sport & NPC Services Senior Manager Juergen Padberg at the end of April to discuss the future of CP Football as part of the Paralympic sports programme. We offered an apology for failing to submit the level of detail required by the IPC on its application for inclusion in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. We also expressed our appreciation of the efforts and support of IPC staff during the application phase and our regret for placing the IPC Governing Board in a difficult position. Mr. Gonzalez confirmed that the Tokyo 2020 Games process is now closed and the decision is final. We advised Mr. Gonzalez that we would continue to explore all avenues to convince the IPC to give us another chance and to award our sport a place on the Tokyo 2020 sports programme. We will request the IPC Governing Board to consider the new information we have gathered regarding our worldwide reach at their June meeting.

In the meantime, our work on behalf of CP Football continues. We are very proud of our new website (www.ifcpf.com) and we urge you to take a look. Follow us on twitter (@ifcpf) for up to the minute coverage of activities around the world. Like our Facebook page to see details on our daily activities. More importantly please share your good news with us so that we can share it with the world! If you are hosting a friendly match, please let us know – it is important for us to keep track of all activities of our members. Perhaps your national team is having a training camp? Pass along the news to us and we will share it. 

We also continue to make a significant commitment to developing our sport. As we indicated in our April newsletter, we have offered workshops in Africa (Nigeria) and Central America (El Salvador). We are involved in the ASEAN Para Games tournament later this year in Singapore.

The World Championships and World Championships Under 19 are just around the corner. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at those tournaments!