Sports

Wheelchair Tennis (Olympic Tennis Centre (TEN))


It is a spectacular sport that enjoys great popularity during the Paralympic Games. Among Wheelchair Tennis athletes, a Paralympic medal is considered as the highest distinction.
A Wheelchair Tennis match is played between two or four athletes with loss of motor function in one or both lower extremities. There is a special class for athletes with quadriplegia or athletes with loss of motor function in the lower extremities and functional disability or amputation in the upper extremities. To score a point, Wheelchair Tennis players have to hit the ball with their rackets so that it lands on the opponent's court without the opponent being able to hit it back. Winner is the athlete or pair to first win two "sets" of six "games" each .
During the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games, Wheelchair Tennis competitions will be held from 19-26 September 2004. The total of men and women athletes competing will be 112.

Wheelchair Basketball (Olympic Indoor Hall (OIH))

It is one of the most spectacular and popular sports of the Paralympic Games.
Each Wheelchair Basketball team consists of five players, playing in the court, and seven substitutes. Substitutions take place during breaks in the game. The objective of every team is to score in the opponents' basket and prevent the opposing team from scoring. The winner is the team that at the end of the game has scored the most points.
Wheelchair Basketball competition programme at the Athens Paralympic Games will be completed within 11 days, from 18-28 September 2004. Eight teams will participate in the women's tournament and twelve in the men's tournament.

Sitting Volleyball (Indoor Arena (HEL) & Fencing Hall (HEF))

It first introduced in 1956 and is one of the most important team sports for athletes with a disability. In Sitting Volleyball the dimensions of the court are smaller, the net is lower, and the athletes play sitting down. Athletes with locomotor disabilities are eligible to participate. In Sitting Volleyball the men and women athletes are not classified into classes as in other sports. However, they must fulfil the conditions of a minimum degree of disability. The games take place in an indoor court between two teams, in a playing area measuring 10 x 6 metres. Each team consists of six players and up to six substitutes. Sitting Volleyball at the Athens Paralympic Games will be held from 19 to 26 September 2004, with a resting day in 23 September 2004.

Wheelchair Rugby (Indoor Arena (HEL) & Fencing Hall (HEF))

It began in Canada in 1977 and is a combination of the pace, regulations and skills required in Basketball and Rugby.
Men and women athletes with a physical disability can participate in Wheelchair Rugby. The athletes are assessed as to their balance and the mobility of the upper part of their body (trunk), the handling of the ball (passing, receiving, dribbling) and the use of the competition wheelchair (fast forward volition, stopping, changing direction). They are graded accordingly.
Wheelchair Rugby competition programme at the Athens Paralympic Games will be completed over a period of six days, from the 19 to 25 September 2004, with the participation of eight mixed teams, while on 22 September there will be no Wheelchair Rugby matches.

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