PyeongChang Welcomes NPC Chefs de Mission

The National Paralympic Committees (NPC) Chefs de Mission Seminar for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games is taking place at the Alpensia Convention Centre from 1st-3rd March and has welcomed over 90 NPC delegates on day one.

As with the NOC Chefs de Mission Seminar, which took place last month, all the information given over the three days is based on the information included in the Chefs de Mission Dossier. There will be a number of side meetings between NPCs, the International Paralympic Committee and POCOG to ensure everyone’s planning can move ahead in the one year that remains before the Paralympics Games which begins on 9 March 2018.

POCOG President Mr. Hee-beom LEE attended the session yesterday and welcomed everyone to PyeongChang by saying, "It is really unbelievable that we are only one year and 8 days from the Opening Ceremony of the 12th Paralympic Winter Games here in PyeongChang, Korea. Over the next few days, we are pleased to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the Games and POCOG’s operational readiness through plenary sessions, venue tours, information booths and one-on-one meetings.

"With one year to go, POCOG will continue to strive to create a sustainable Paralympic Games that contributes to peace, culture, the economy, environment and ICT, as well as the promotion of the Paralympic values and movement. POCOG will do its best to deliver a most memorable and athlete-focused Games for all NPC delegations in Paralympic history."

IPC Senior Manager of Membership Engagement and NPC Services Qayser Sachdev also mentioned, "It is exciting to be welcoming all of you to the seminar today, with nearly one year to go to the start of the Paralympic Winter Games, and as you will have seen yesterday, final preparations are well under way.

"The plenary sessions today, mark an important milestone, as we officially shift our operational gears from the beaches and churrascarias of Rio, to the mountains and BBQs of PyeongChang.

"As President Lee and PyeongChang 2018 have already demonstrated, there is a willingness to not only ensure that delegations leave with all the information you require to ensure your Para athletes are best prepared."

Penny Briscoe, Chef de Mission for ParalympicsGB, said, "The Chef de Mission seminar is a major ‘stage-post’ in the Games preparations for all competing nations and we are delighted to be here with colleagues from around the world to see the progress being made by the PyeongChang Organising Committee and the IPC ahead of the next Winter Paralympic Games.

"With just over a year to go to the Games it’s a helpful reminder of all the hard work we have done so far and also what we have still to do in order for Paralympics GB to be best prepared. It’s therefore a very important event for us: a chance to ask questions, gather information, spend time with the Organising Committee and IPC colleagues and to get a feel for how the Games will look and feel ‘on the ground’. Information we receive this week can change or shape the decisions we take on how the team will prepare and operate at Games time, so this seminar is crucial for us.

"From my perspective, it looks like the Organising Committee’s plans are developing well and are on track which is very reassuring. We have been made very welcome by our hosts and it’s been an excellent and informative seminar so far. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the week has in store for us all."

Lynette Grace (Games Campaign Manager, Paralympics New Zealand) said, "We have spent the first day attending venue tours. Today and tomorrow will be spent indoors in plenary sessions gathering vital information to assist with planning and preparations for our Games team come March 2018. Initial observations are that the POCOG is working well with their partners to ensure the games planning and preparations are on track. We look forward to the next two days of information sharing and final tours."

She continued, "The test events kick off in a one week and these will be hugely beneficial for our Para athletes to test the Alpine courses and the infrastructure around them. The events are a critical part of the Para athletes campaign and will help us to ensure they are best prepared for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games."

For more information, please contact:

POCOG Press Office

Email: pressoffice@pyeongchang2018.com

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