ABU DHABI, June 7th, 2010: The Zayed Higher Foundation for Humanitarian care, People with Special Needs and Minor's Affairs and the University of Queensland have signed an agreement to construct an international laboratory for classifying athletes disabilities.
The agreement was signed by deputy secretary general of the foundation Mohammed Fadhel Al-Hamli and Director of the Office of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Queensland Ian Harris in presence of Sean Tweedy, the internationally accredited classifier in Disability Athletics. The laboratory is to be set up at the Al-Ain Club for the Disabled in Al-Ain city, UAE. According to the agreement, the University of Queensland will provide equipment under the supervision of Dr. Tweedy who runs the Adapted Physical Activity Program, a community-based program that assists people with disabilities to become more physically active. Tweedy, whose work is supported by the Australian Research Council, The International Paralympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission, was selected to classify at the Beijing Paralympic Games by the International Paralympic Committee. The University of Queensland will also provide a training program for workers of the Al-Ain Club for the Disabled. The results of the said laboratory will be officially recognized, in arrangement with the Foundation, after London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Al-Hamli gave a presentation on the UAE leadership's interest in supporting disability sports, noting the generous grants and services provided by the UAE government to athletes with disabilities. Al-Hamli said the world's first such laboratory is the outcome of the four-party partnership among the Zayed Higher Foundation, the International Paralympic Committee, the Australian Paralympic Committee and the University of Queensland. For his part, Harris said cooperation with the Club is not limited to the laboratory and there are other programs in the framework of the cooperation with the Club which enjoys an international reputation in hosting disability sports events. The purpose of classification laboratory is to facilitate fair competition among athletes with disabilities by minimizing the influence of impairment on the outcome of events (i.e., to ensure an athlete is not precluded from success simply because they are more disabled other competitors), according to University of Queensland website.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2010.
