Paralympics Navigating Precarious Budget Situation

(ATR) Paralympic leaders say a major budget shortfall will reduce the scope of the 2016 Paralympic Games.

In a press conference International Paralympic Committee president Phil Craven said the organization has "never… faced circumstances like this" when staging a Games. He said that while the athletic performances in Rio will be unforgettable, the Games will not be "at the level they originally committed to."

Craven and IPC chief executive Xavier Gonzalez say that to stage the Games non-essential services will be cut. In another cost saving measure, wheelchair fencing was moved from Deodoro to Carioca Arena 3. This move will allow all the temporary structures in Deodoro Park to be dismantled, with the equestrian, shooting, and 7-a-side football operating as individual venues. Paralympic staffing will be reduced in a separate effort to cut costs.

Despite the cutbacks, Paralympic leaders guarantee that none of the 22 sports will be dropped.

"We had one budget, we followed the budget we had at the time, it had been built on the assumption of delivering the services that we needed," Gonzalez told reporters. "There are costs that are easily associated to the Paralympic games but there are other costs that are not possible to separate."

The organizing committee says that the main reason for needing this money is a lack of ticket sales and sponsors. So far, only 300,000 tickets have been sold for the 2016 Paralympics, only 12 percent of tickets available.

Rio 2016 will receive $46.7 million from the city government and $31.1 million from sponsorships from state-run companies to stage the Games. The final figures may end up being less, depending on the number of tickets organizers can sell through the end of the Paralympics. Craven said he was doubtful that there would be full stadiums during the Paralympics given bleak sales figures.

One of the initial expenses that Rio 2016 will spend the money on is a late payment to the IPC to fund travel grants necessary for small National Paralympic Committees to travel to the Games.

The IPC said earlier this week that even with the repayment for the travel grants, 10 NPCs are at risk of missing the Games. Still, IPC leadership guaranteed to reporters that all countries that have athletes eligible to compete in the Paralympics will be in Rio.

"This has to happen and it will happen," Craven said to reporters. "That money we know now is there for it to be paid. It should have been paid on the 29th of July. The pressure is on. Fix it."

The day after the closing ceremony the IPC will hold a meeting with the Mayor of Rio. Craven described the upcoming meeting as a "significant exchange of information," for the IPC.

Written by Aaron Bauer in Rio de Janeiro

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