‘Sport for Peace’ stamps for Paralympic Games

Once the Olympic Games are over tomorrow, all eyes will be on the Paralympic Games, also to be held in London starting 29 August.  This will be the 14th Paralympic Games since the first Games held in Rome in 1960.

Held every four years following the Olympic Games, the Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). This year’s Games will be the biggest ever featuring 4,200 athletes from 160 countries competing in 20 sports.

To coincide with the event, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) will issue a set of six stamps on the theme ‘Sport for Peace’ honouring the dedication and commitment of Paralympic athletes from around the world. “The 2012 Games showcase exceptional athletes who display amazing talents that inspire people around the world,” the UNPA says.

The origin of Paralympics date back to 1948 when Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England for Second World War veterans who had spinal injuries. The competition was held between sports clubs and other hospitals on the same day as the opening ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games.

Athletes competing at the Games are divided into several disability groups – visual impairments, amputees, cerebral palsy spinal cord injuries and others with physical disabilities who are not included in these categories.

The stamps feature six games. They are:

 Goalball: One of the most popular Paralympic sports played in over 100 countries. Initially developed as a rehabilitation activity for soldiers returning from World War II, it is played by visually impaired athletes using a ball with bells inside.

It is played by two teams of three on an indoor court with tactile lines with goals at either end. The aim is to score by rolling the ball into the opposition’s goal while the opposition attempts to block the ball with their bodies. All competitors wear eyeshades to allow athletes with varying degrees of vision to compete together.

Sitting volleyball: A combination of volleyball and a German game called sitzball, it is one of the most fast-paced and exciting Paralympic sports. It is played by two teams of six on a 10mx6m indoor court divided by a net.

Athletics: The largest sport in Paralympic Games with 1,100 athletes competing for 170 gold medals. The field events broadly fall into two categories. The lists of throwing events include discus, javelin, shot put and club throw. Jumping events include high jump, long jump and triple jump. track events range from 100m to 5,000m. Some athletes compete in wheelchairs or throwing frames, others with prostheses, and yet others with the guidance of a sighted companion.

Archery: A sport with a continuous history since 1948. This year, 140 athletes are competing in nine different medal events. The object of the sport is simple – to shoot arrows as close to the centre of a target as possible. The targets are 122 metres in diameter, with the gold ring at the centre (worth a minimum 10 points) measuring just 12.20cm. Archers shoot at the target from a distance of 70 metres.

Wheelchair basketball: Developed by American World War II veterans as part of their rehabilitation. Its popularity soon spread and is now played in over 80 countries. The rules are broadly similar to basketball. Players move the ball around the court by passing or dribbling and are required to throw or bounce the ball after every two pushes of the wheels on their chairs to avoid being penalised for travelling.

Paralympic table tennis: Based on the same principles as table tennis. There are 29 medal events with nearly 300 competitors taking part. 11 different classifications are used. Classes 1-5 cover wheelchair athletes, classes 6-10 cover standing athletes and class 11 covers those with intellectual disabilities.

A German born illustrator, Daniel Stolle is the artist who has designed the stamps.