Paralympics to be scaled down

[Mummyme1987]

Just heard this on the news.

[Mummyme1987]

Brazil can't afford it they said. 10 countries aren't going now.

[AmyC86]

OMG that's really bad! What is the excuse for the countries not attending?

[Mummyme1987]

It's very disappointing that disabled sport is being short changed. I understand the country is broke but it's still disappointing. London was so uplifting.

[HelenaDove]

They are treating it as a bloody afterthought

[FairySpinster]

Why aren't the 10 countries going?

[Mummyme1987]

There's no money to get them there, venues are closing and staff and security being scaled back.

[HandbagCrab]

Disgraceful.

[Mummyme1987]

Just heard it in the itv news.

[iklboo]

A lot of the travel funding has been withdrawn, used elsewhere or isn't available. Some countries can't afford to send all their athletes.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

It's awful, just awful.

[hazeyjane]

Its really disappointing, especially after the success of the 2012 Paralympics.

[Mummyme1987]

10% ticket sales.

[Mummyme1987]

London was so good.

[FairySpinster]

Honestly if you can't afford the games you shouldn't be awarded them in the first place, Brazil had the World Cup just 2 years ago and now athletes who've trained for years for this moment are being screwed, it's unbelievably unfair, Brazil would never do this to the Olympics, it's awful how little thought they're giving to the Paralympics

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

i heard this last week, but thought it must have been resolved

something about the travel allowances for the paralympians having already been spent on getting the main games finished

[Witchend]

Maybe the USA can give the money they're taking their athletes towards it.

Really bad.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

Is this because Brazil can't afford to pay the travel grants?

[Mummyme1987]

This wouldn't have happened to the football.

[CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger]

Thing is, when Brazil was awarded the games it still had one of the fastest growing economies in the world, it has nosedived since then.

This really is very sad.

[Blu]

Shocking.
A disgrace to the whole Olympic Movement, on Brazil and on the IOC for overseeing such an ill-managed debacle.
If I was an Olympic athlete due to compete from now on I hope I would have the resolve to refuse to compete, as a protest. Because in essence, the Brazilians have robbed Peter to pay Paul in getting the Olympics on as a priority over the Paralympics. (I am not saying I think the Olympic athletes have any moral obligation to protest, but I think I would want to).

[CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger]

Of course it wouldn't have happened to the football - huge amounts of Brazilian national pride is based on football (not that they've covered themselves in glory recently!)

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

I wonder if London could step in and hold it instead? I'm certainly dreaming, but I think the Paralympics are SO important

[Witchend]

Taxing, not taking

[TheSilverChair]

The football would have sold tickets. The money was meant to come from ticket sales and nobody wants to go.

Not much they can do about that, sadly. It would be nice if the IOC helped out but I doubt they will.

[TheFairyCaravan]

It's an absolute disgrace. I'm so angry about it, those athletes deserve this just as much as the ones who aren't disabled. They must be heartbroken.