On Saturday, November 17th, Paralympics Ireland will host a unique event at the National Sports Campus when we welcome classifiers from right across the country and from all sports for the National Classifiers Forum.
Classification of athletes is one of the most important functions carried out in Para Sports and yet our national classifiers rarely have a chance to come together. This weekend will present an opportunity for individuals that are carrying out this vital role to come together to share their experiences and knowledge whilst also being kept abreast of the rules and guidelines that comprise international best practice.
The National Classifiers Forum will get underway at 9:30am with an IPC Code Implementation and Best Practice for National Classification session. This will be followed by a report from 2017 and a look forward to the plans for the new year. Plans for a specific sports calendar of classification will be announced which will allow National Governing Bodies to plan for their own individual classifications. The new National Sports Data Management System will also be demonstrated before a break is held for lunch. The evening session will focus on medical issues and case histories before the floor is opened to all attendees to contribute their own learnings allowing for an open discussion and information exchange.
Speaking about the National Classifiers Forum, Ana Maia, Classification Co-Ordinator for Paralympics Ireland said ‘“This is a really important and significant event that is vital to ensure that our classifiers are all operating to the best standards in national and international practice. Irish classifiers rarely have an opportunity to come together in a forum like this so we have a great opportunity to share our experiences and to learn off each other thereby improving all standards across the country.”
