Returning from the CP Football World Championships in England, Pararoos head coach Kai Lammert had mixed feelings about the tournament, the results and the future of Paralympic Football.
“Yes we had some good results early on and then obviously the results didn’t go our way a bit later on in the tournament,” Lammert said.
With only four preparatory matches before the tournament it was always going to be difficult for the Aussies and they could not quite continue the form that they had shown in the first match, later going down to eventual gold medalists Russia 4-0, consequently taking them out of the qualification race for the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
Lammert inferred that getting the Pararoos back on track and raising awareness of the team and obtaining funding with the help of the Australian Sports Foundation was the first and most important step in the development of the program.
The future seems brighter than it did a year ago after the axing of the program by the Australian Sports Commission and Football Federation Australia and there are currently plans to host an Australian based tournament and possibly participate in internationals against in Portugal and possibly the Ukraine.
The Young Pararoos will be participating in the Uunder-19 Youth World Cup, which will take place from 6th-16th August 2015 and will be held at the Harvey Hadden Sports Complex in Nottingham, England.
There are plans to initiate a ‘mini’ Pararoos program for players from seven to twelve years of age and a women’s team, but first and foremost the goal is to start knocking on the door of the top 10 rankings in the world and compete successfully against teams like Canada and Portugal, who are currently ranked 10th and 11th respectively.
When asked about steps to achieve this goal Lammert identified player recruitment as a priority, the national team seems to be somewhat hindered by a small talent pool. To be eligible for the Pararoos, players must have symptoms of Cerebral Palsy or Acquired Brain Injury and have a certain amount of athleticism and motor control.
After the reinstatement of the Pararoo program it seems they have recently been hit with another setback, being told by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) that Paralympic football will not be held in the Tokoyo 2020 Paralympics.
The IPC reasoning behind the cutting of the sport was that CP football did not have a global reach and not enough countries played the sport, and yet in 2014, 42 countries competed, far more than the usual 24 required to be nominated as a Paralympic sport.
“Organisations were asked to provide credible proof, and we believe that despite the number of teams who may have competed in 2014, these are not regularly practiced enough,” said an IPC official.
[interaction id=”559f5505529840a30eb5df6e”]
The Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) have set up an online petition to have the decision overturned and have taken steps to develop new partnerships with national Paralympic Committees and FIFA affiliated football member national associations.
“One of CPISRA’s long term targets is for the football to be incorporated with UEFA and subsequently FIFA,” said Tom Langen, President of CPISRA.
Despite the knockbacks, Lammert and his players stand resolute that their program and the sport will continue and prosper.
Players with of Cerebral Palsy or Acquired Brain Injury interested in representing their country may contact Football Federation Australia for details.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
