When will the Tokyo Paralympics start to see them swinging freely?

On the evening of August 24, the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games officially kicked off. Soon after the end of the Tokyo Olympics, Paralympic athletes who also pursue faster, higher, stronger, and more united will step onto their own stage to showcase the unique beauty that sports give them.

　　According to reports, from August 24, more than 4,000 athletes from around the world will participate in 22 major events and 539 minor events in the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The 251 athletes of the Chinese Paralympics delegation will also arrive in Tokyo in batches. The flag bearers of the Chinese delegation will be the female wheelchair archery athlete Zhou Jiamin and the male handicapped track and field athlete Wang Hao.

The Summer Olympics regained the golf competition after a hundred years, so can you see this sport at the Paralympics?

　　Unfortunately, this sport is not included in the Summer Paralympic Games. Perhaps in the eyes of most people, golf requires good physical fitness, and it also needs to face the challenges brought by the natural environment such as scorching sun and heavy rain; this 100% outdoor sport will face the challenges of most healthy ordinary people. Small challenges, let alone people with disabilities.

　　Besides, golf is a sport that demands balance and stability. It not only tests physical fitness, explosive power, muscle memory, but also tests overall performance. So is it really impossible for people with disabilities to participate in this sport? The answer is obviously not absolute.

　　In October 2020, The R&A released a new golf and health research report, which clearly stated at the beginning: “Golf is a sport that promotes health and is suitable for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.” It gave The age range is 4-104 years old, so what proportion of this group of people are people with disabilities? The report did not give specific figures. But it also mentioned in the article that “decision makers should cooperate with industry and regulatory agencies to include golf in the Paralympic Games.” This also shows that golf is based on its own healthy, sunny, and sustainable characteristics, and has a good reputation among the disabled. Basically, golf with disabilities is constantly expanding its influence.

　　As an international organization recognized by the Olympics, IGF (International Golf Federation) has also been recognized by the International Paralympic Games (IPC), aiming to promote the development of golf worldwide. It also opened a GWD golfers with disability section on the homepage of its official website, and has a special committee to handle related matters. The last one of the committee’s duties was “to formulate plans to include golf in the 2028 Paralympic Games.”

　　Not only that, R&A and USGA have jointly launched the “Revised Golf Rules for Disabled Players” to encourage and facilitate They participate in this sport.

　　In fact, many disabled golf sports are in full swing internationally.

　　Golf has long been included in the Special Olympics (SOI) competition. Special Olympics is the International Special Olympics Committee. It is an international organization that provides sports training and competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities around the world. According to its official website, as of 2011, 22,940 Special Olympics athletes have participated in golf competitions.

　　In addition, the creation and development of organizations such as the World Golf Players Rankings with Disabilities, the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), and the (U.S.) Amputee Golf Association provide more possibilities and opportunities for people with disabilities to embrace the sport. help. The expansion of the participating population has also led to the continuous design and launch of auxiliary facilities for the visually impaired, hearing impaired and amputee golfers.

　　Movement has no boundaries. When handicapped golfers appear on the golf course, they not only compete in skills, but also show courage and will to everyone. They are inspirational deeds and the charm of the sport.

　　The 2017 World Golf Championships for the Disabled was held in Cape Town, South Africa. Two years later, the men’s European Tour also collaborated with the European Disabled Golf Association to provide disabled golfers with the opportunity to compete on the same court with professional golfers.

　　They continue to show everyone that they can swing beautifully without the support of prosthetics. Physical disability can’t stop the power of the swing, and you can play golf with one hand and one leg.

　　As for whether Olympic golf can be included in the Summer Paralympic Games, so that more people can experience this charm, I believe it is only a matter of time. Looking forward to the near future, just like golf returning to the Olympic family, golfers will be able to swing freely at the Paralympics!

(Source: Women’s China Tour CLPG TOUR )

(This article is from the official website of the China Golf Association and is owned by the original author.)