The second day of the Dis+Abled European Summer Games multidisciplinary competition in Wągrowiec is behind us. The competition took place in bocci, goalball, table tennis, archery, bowling, swimming and cycling.
One of the most popular sports among people with disabilities around the world is table tennis. In Wągrowiec at the tables we saw players from Italy, Serbia, Germany and, of course, Poland. As always, Rafal Czuper, a two-time Paralympic vice-champion, showed great class.
Rafal Czuper
table tennis player
„This championship is such a novelty. I have never competed in such a competition. There is a very cool integration. The competitions are very well organized.”
The competition is an ideal place to get to know each other better, talk to players from all over Europe, exchange experiences and make new friends.
Mihailo Radovanovic
Serbia, table tennis player
„We are very happy to be here and play with excellent players. All over the world Serbia is associated with tennis and Novak Djokovic, so I also try to make Serbia famous but through table tennis. I come from a small town in Serbia and I played tennis since I was a child, because there my cerebral palsy and my disability didn’t bother me. When I went to college, I started teaching tennis to children until one time a coach saw me and told me to take up table tennis professionally. Now my dream is the Paralympic Games in Paris.”
The cherry on the cake of Tuesday’s competition was a handbike race in the nearby village of Potulice near Wągrowiec. There, riders competed on loops, the number of which depended on the disability class of the riders. The MH4 class was won by Rafal Wilk, ahead of Jakub Staszkiewicz. The best in the MH3 class was Rafal Szumiec, but all three riders fell at the finish line practically simultaneously.
Rafal Szumiec
handbike
„A very good team ride. Together with Kuba Staszkiewicz we chased Rafal Wilk and succeeded, thanks to which the end of the race was so exciting for the fans.”
Rafal Wilk
handbike
„Together we all rode to the finish line and right after the race I’m still not sure if I won. I had the lead for most of the race, so I wanted to help Hubert Komorowski on the course, which caused my opponents to catch up with me before I knew it. However, I am glad that centimeters decided that I won.”
The organizer of the Dis+Abled European Summer Games is the Polish Paralympic Committee. The event is co-financed by the European Union’s Erasmus + program. The Ministry of Environment and Climate and Minister of Sport and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk have assumed honorary patronage of the event. Media patrons of the event are TVP Sport, TVP 3 Poznań, Polish Radio and the niepełnosprawni.pl.