This in from Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North. Ed
Today Penny Mordaunt MP tabled a petition in Parliament yesterday to reinstate Paralympic sailing. The petition supported by over 15,000 signatures asked that the Government prevail “upon the International Paralympic Committee to ensure that sailing events are reinstated in the programme for the Tokyo games”.
Penny Mordaunt said,
“This issue has huge support in Parliament and from the Minister. It is outrageous that such an important sport should be dropped from the programme. We owe it to these committed sportsmen and sportswomen to ensure they can compete at this level. The Olympics and Paralympics are very special competitions, for sailing not to be represented is intolerable.
“We need this decision to be reversed quickly to enable sponsorship and planning to be put in place and to give the prospective competitors assurance and time to plan and train.”
Signatures have been gathered by individuals and organisations from across Portsmouth area and the Isle of Wight, most notably by 16-year-old Will Matthews, Member of Youth Parliament for the Isle of Wight – who is a keen sailor, sea cadet, scout and a Cowes RNLI volunteer.
Will said;
“I have huge admiration for these men and women. I have sailed with Andy Cassell, who was selected for the1996 Paralympics in Atlanta and came home with the Gold Medal, and I was in Weymouth last week with the 2020 hopefuls. Two of them are Afghanistan veterans, one a double amputee and the other a triple amputee. Sailing at that level is tough enough for the able bodied, what they do is truly amazing.”
Penny added,
“This has been an amazing campaign, much aided by Will’s efforts. It has brought together people from all over the world and it truly reflects the spirit and value of the Games. We have won the argument, now we must ensure the Committee reverses its position.”
The campaign has also received support from Caroline Dinenage MP and Andrew Turner MP who raised the issue in DCMS questions.
