1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games
| Host city | Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Nations participating | 14 |
| Athletes participating | 192 |
| Opening ceremony | 26 July 1970 |
| Closing ceremony | 1 August 1970 |
| Officially opened by | Edward Heath |
| Main venue | Meadowbank Stadium |
The Third Commonwealth Paraplegic Games was a multi-sport event that was held in Edinburgh from 26 July to 1 August 1970. Dubbed the "little games", they followed the 1970 British Commonwealth Games which were held in Edinburgh from 16 to 25 July of that year. Events were held at Meadowbank Stadium, the Royal Commonwealth Pool, and Redcraigs shooting range.
Background and administration
The chairman of the Organising Committee was Lieutenant-Colonel John Fraser.[1] It was also known as the "little games" and the "Wheelchair Games".[1][2]
Ceremonies
The Games were opened by the British Prime Minister Edward Heath. The opening ceremony was at Meadowbank stadium and was attended by a crowd of 2,000 people.[3] The teams were led in by the hosts of the previous games, Jamaica.[3] On behalf of all the competitors, James Laird, the Scottish team captain, took an oath.[3] A message of support from the Provosts of 28 towns and cities across Scotland was read out, having been relayed from John o' Groats by runners from the Scottish Youth Clubs Association.[3]
The games were closed by James MacKay, Lord Provost of the Edinburgh Corporation.[4]
Logistics
An athletes village was located at Turnhouse, with accommodation provided free of charge to the athletes by the Ministry of Defence.[1] The Edinburgh Corporation had supplied fourteen adapted buses, which volunteer drivers used to transport the athletes between venues during the games.[4] Athletics events were held at Meadowbank stadium.[5] Shooting events were held at Redcraigs shooting range in West Lothian.[6] There was some criticism of the lack of day-to-day television coverage from the BBC and ITV broadcasters.[2]
Participating teams
Two hundred athletes from fourteen Commonwealth countries took part.[3] Countries at this games that had not previously participated were Kenya, Uganda, Malaysia and India.[1]
Medals
Events included: archery, bowls, fencing, basketball, rifle shooting, swimming, table tennis, track and field.[3]
Medal Table
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 51 | 32 | 25[7] |
| Australia | 32 | 30 | 41[7] |
| Scotland | 28 | ||
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Premier to open games for invalids". Glasgow Herald. 11 April 1970. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- 1 2 Elder, Dorothy-Grace (1 August 1970). "Wheelchair Games attack on the B.B.C.". The Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cheers and praise for the wheel-chair athletes". Glasgow Herald. 27 July 1970. p. 16. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- 1 2 "Wheelchair athletes close Games on a proud note". 3 August 1970. p. 16. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
- ↑ "Paraplegic games: Gold for Mercer". The Herald. 29 July 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- ↑ "Paraplegic games: Three gold medals for Scotland". The Herald. 28 July 1970. p. 6. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
- 1 2 "Paraplegics need $6000 to run games". The Biz. 2 March 1972. Retrieved 6 November 2016.