The announcement adds an exciting new dimension to the BT Paralympic World Cup and will provide the event with the strongest broadcast coverage it has ever received on UK television. Manchester has committed for the seventh consecutive year to hosting elite international athletes competing across Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics and Swimming. In addition, Boccia and Sitting Volleyball will be represented for the first time, with international matches staged during the competition.
The 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup will receive unprecedented television coverage, with Channel 4 committing to a two hour live programme on 28 May, as well daily highlights packages on 26 and 27 May. Live daily streaming from each sport will also be broadcast on the Channel 4 website: www.channel4.com/paralympics.
Deborah Poulton, Sports Editor, Paralympics at Channel 4, said, "We are thrilled to be adding the BT Paralympic World Cup to our TV sporting schedules. Alongside the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the BT Paralympic World Cup is another opportunity to help increase awareness of Paralympic sport and make the British viewing public the best informed and most engaged in the world. We believe the combination of online streaming and TV highlights coverage will attract new audiences to the BT Paralympic World Cup and give the event and its competitors the profile they deserve."
With the 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup breaking record attendance figures for a UK disability sporting event, the competition will this year build on the success of the team challenge format across the three sports, which will see Great Britain taking on teams from Europe, the Americas and the Rest of the World, with the latter team the defending champions.
Suzi Williams, Director, BT Group Marketing and Brand, said, "The 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup was a fantastic success, with record crowds and some spectacular sporting performances. This year's BT Paralympic World Cup will raise the bar even higher, it's a must-attend event for the world's best Paralympic athletes as they prepare for the Paralympic Games next year and I look forward to seeing some world class coverage on Channel 4."
Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure at Manchester City Council said, "Manchester will set the stage for record breaking performances for the seventh consecutive year and the city is delighted to continue its association with elite disability sport. We welcome the world's elite athletes and the world's media to our doorstep and are thrilled that the event will be receiving so much exposure through Channel 4's broadcast".
ParalympicsGB Chief Executive Phil Lane has also welcomed the broadcast announcement and said, "The quality and depth of the coverage that Channel 4 will bring to the BT Paralympic World Cup truly demonstrates the vision that they share with us for bringing Paralympic sport to the forefront of the public's minds. We are delighted that such a commitment has been made by the broadcaster and look forward to welcoming them to Manchester."
Lane also commented that with London 2012 drawing ever closer this is a crucial competition for the world's leading Paralympic stars. "The world will turn its attention to London in just over a year and a half and the whole country is building on its excitement to host the biggest sporting events on earth. For those competitors aiming to compete in London, the BT Paralympic World Cup is a crucial world-class competition that will be a key indicator in their performances," he said.
To mark the launch of the 2011 BT Paralympic World Cup, Wheelchair Basketball player Simon Munn, Paralympic Swimming champion Liz Johnson and recent IPC Athletics world champion Richard Whitehead took part in an underwater photo shoot at the Manchester Aquatics Centre. Simon Munn, whose GB team will be hoping to defend their BT Paralympic World Cup title, said, "The Great Britain team has always looked forward to the BT Paralympic World Cup and last year was an amazing result for us when we beat three of the best teams in the world to the title. We look forward to playing in Manchester again and it's great news our sport will receive live coverage on Channel 4."
Liz Johnson will be also looking to build on the silver medal she won in the pool last year and said, "The BT Paralympic World Cup is a key competition for me and will be a crucial preparation as I look towards London 2012. I've had fantastic support from the team around me, including BT who I represent as an Ambassador and I am hopeful of realising my dreams at a home Games."
Following his success in the 200m at the IPC World Championships in New Zealand last month, Richard Whitehead is looking to build on his success in Manchester. "The BT Paralympic World Cup is a great chance for me to get strong international track racing and I hope to run a great race against other Paralympic athletes such as Oscar Pistorius, who is a great friend of mine as well as rival" he said.
The BT Paralympic World Cup is the largest annual international multi-sport competition in elite disability sport. BT is entering its third year as title sponsor, in a sponsorship which runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.
Speaking about the inclusion of the two international matches, IPC Chief Executive Officer Xavier Gonzales said, "As an annual event the BT World Cup helps to showcase the best of Paralympic Sport and we are delighted that sports fans in Manchester will also be able to watch Boccia and Sitting Volleyball for the first time. This will give them a taster of some of the great sporting events that they can expect to see in just over 18 months' time at the London 2012 Paralympic Games."
Further news for this year's event, John Lewis has announced their sponsorship of the volunteering scheme for the BT Paralympic World Cup, an extension of their Partners in Sport programme. The BT
Paralympic World Cup is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and supported by Paralympics GB, BT and Manchester City Council.
Tickets for the BT Paralympic World Cup will be available from March 2011. For more information visit: www.btparalympicworldcup.com
The event schedule will see the Manchester Regional Arena host Wheelchair Basketball on 23-26 May and Athletics on 27 May, with the Manchester Aquatics Centre hosting the Swimming competition on 27-28 May. The Sitting Volleyball international match will be staged at the Regional Arena on 25 May and the Boccia match on 26 May.
Follow the BT Paralympic World Cup on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BTPWC
