Andrew Parsons (Rio de Janeiro, February 10, 1977), president of the IPC since September 2017, arrives on time for the appointment at the MPC (press center) and wasting kindness. “It is always a pleasure to chat with Spain,” he says in perfect Spanish. Only a few hours separate the interview with the start of the Paralympic Games, a moment that he is looking forward to. There is a lot of work behind this great event, marked by the pandemic. There his objective is clear: “To protect not only athletes, but also the population of Japan.” The Olympians have already shown the way.
“What do you expect from these Games?”
—I hope they are safe and that we can guarantee the health of all who are here: athletes, officials and also the Japanese population. That is the priority under these circumstances. In addition, that the sport is incredible and the message reaches 4,250 million people. Make it effective and leave a legacy of inclusion around the world.
—With the pandemic, do you face an appointment of such magnitude with fear or nerves?
“Not scared, but we have to be vigilant until the last moment.” We cannot relax after the opening ceremony. We must continue with the restrictions, the playbooks … We cannot be complacent in the face of this pandemic. Until the last athlete leaves the Village we have to be vigilant because we have a commitment to protect not only athletes, but also the population of Japan.
– Throughout these months, did you fear that the Games could not be held?
-Of course. There was a time when everything seemed very difficult and he was heading in another direction. There were many nights without a good sleep, but always wanting to continue and work with science, hand in hand with WHO, the experts, the IOC … Both committees work together every day and our teams, not only from president to President. The Olympic experience shows us that we can be confident and that playbooks work. They are efficient and if people follow them, we will be safe.
—One of the consequences of the pandemic is that there will be no spectators.
“It’s a shame, but it’s the right decision under the circumstances in Tokyo.” Most of the people around the world experience the Paralympic Games through television. In Rio we had 2.3 million spectators in the stands, but 4,100 around the world. Since we learned of this decision, we have worked with Japanese television because this population expected to go to the Games and in the end they will have to follow them through the media, the internet, social networks …
—Some countries will not be there because of the pandemic, others like Afghanistan because of their turbulent situation.
—There are countries that cannot come for many reasons. Some are not allowed by their governments, others are from Oceania with very harsh restrictions whereby no one can leave or enter … We have 162 delegations, 161 countries plus the refugee team. We are very happy because the record was 164 (London 2012), but there was no pandemic. If it hadn’t been for that, we would have reached 170. Of course, we are very sad about Afghanistan. Not only because of the athletes, but also because of what is happening in the country. It is much bigger than sport. We talk about lives. It’s a shame they can’t come, but we’re more focused on them as human beings. We do not want that by trying to get to Tokyo in any way we could put them at risk. They should think more about their future, what am I going to do, where am I going … Believing that they can compete at a high level in just a few days, after the trauma of everything they have experienced, may not be realistic. We are accompanying them, we are in contact with international organizations to see what can be done, but it seems to us that it is not reasonable to try to make them compete until the last moment.
—The International Paralympic Committee (ICC) is promoting the refugee team.
– Refugees are the excluded of the excluded. When they arrive in a new country or a refugee camp, what do they do? With accessibility, employment … And sport is a way to include them. Their presence at the Paralympic Games is a message to the world that there are people with disabilities in all sectors of society. There are refugees with disabilities and they must be included. We are shedding some light on this issue.
– At what point is the path towards the equalization between Olympians and Paralympics?
—We see that progress is being made in many countries, from the point of view of the structure offered to athletes, to scholarships and financial awards for medals. The United States announced three or four years ago that the amount for its athletes in Tokyo will be the same for Olympians and Paralympians. Others follow that trail. That is always a reflection of society. If a society is not inclusive, most likely the difference between athletes in that country is also very large. We are making progress on our long-term agreement with the IOC, which runs until 2032. We work together, but not only on the Games. And there are more and more countries where their Committees also go hand in hand. This is society, people with and without disabilities working together.
—The importance of the media in these Games increases. What audience do you estimate there will be? In addition, the CPI has launched an initiative by which they will take the signal to countries with fewer resources …
—Our goal is to reach 4.250 million worldwide viewers, after having 4,100 in Rio and 3,800 in London. We know the impact of having the Games on television. That happened in my country (Brazil) during the Athens Games. People realize that it is a high-level sport and not a festival. There is a change in attitude and perception of Paralympic sport. Our goal is that more and more countries can have the broadcast rights for the Games. This initiative, with the support of UK Aid, involves offering free broadcasting rights in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 40 territories will be able to see the Tokyo Paralympic Games for the first time without paying. We work so that they can receive the images of their athletes, because many have them competing here, and feel proud of them. We can start a movement for greater awareness and recognition. There are very interesting examples around the world, like Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Angola … In fact, Angola went through almost a revolution. In Athens they won a gold medal in athletics and in Beijing they were able to watch the Games on television. That started an inclusion movement in this country that has many amputees from the civil war. Amazing.
—How do you see the Spanish team and what role can it play in the Games?
—Spain is a very strong and important country in the international Paralympic context due to its leadership role, not only with Latin American countries but with the whole world. Many Spanish leaders were and are very important in the history of the Paralympic movement. There is an incredible generation of athletes in Spain. I have many friends. Teresa Perales is a legend, an example of a person, I am an unconditional fan. There are many prominent names Sarai Gascón, Sara Andrés, the basketball team … Spain is very strong, as always. I see it in a very positive moment.
“When this is over, what deposit do you want these Games to leave behind?”
—Like Transformation Games, with a very strong message of inclusion, especially now at a time of pandemic. It is always possible to have an attitude of inclusion, also under a situation that seems impossible. People with disabilities should be and deserve to be included in all societies.
