ITF

ITF World Summer 2021 05 THE PRESIDENT'S VIEW My first taste of the Paras was in Rio de Janeiro, a year after being elected ITF President. I had seen wheelchair tennis events at the Grand Slams but in Rio this was taken to another level as I was able to take in other Paralympic sports – I loved wheelchair basketball, for instance. The whole occasion was inspirational and, in Rio, the power of the Paralympic movement was evidenced by Great Britain doing so well and really building on the momentum and legacy of London 2012. Long may the Paralympics continue to flourish. Pandemic still ongoing As we all know, the past year or so has been difficult for everyone, and that applies to the tennis ecosystem also. However, seeing Wimbledon take place during the last couple of weeks, following on from the success of Roland Garros, was a significant moment. There is now great anticipation for the Olympics and the Paralympics and you can sense enormous excitement among the athletes. The Games can certainly be a mechanism for uniting the world in celebration of sporting greatness. At the same time, we must respect and be extremely mindful of the general population within Japan. It is of paramount importance that we recognise the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over. Rules need to be adhered to and I have no doubt they will be. The Olympic and Paralympic Games will follow the lead of other global sporting events and be staged in a safe and responsible way. Medal presentation On a personal note, I will be in Tokyo for both the Olympics and Paralympics and will be attending my first IOC Session at a Games as an International Olympic Committee member. I have also been given the great honour of presenting medals to the singles winners at the Paralympic tennis event. When I was watching the Olympics on that black and white tv back in Morrisville all those years ago, never did I expect to have this responsibility or experience in my life and I feel very fortunate to be able to share the moment of triumph with athletes. I am really looking forward to the Games and reading ITFWorld interviews with the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Elina Svitolina and Jordanne Whiley on the pages which follow my welcome address has certainly whetted my appetite further. It is a joy to see what it means to young athletes to contest the Games and potentially win gold, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games are going to be fantastic spectacles. I would like to wish all the athletes who are competing in Tokyo all the very best. For the rest of us, let's enjoy the fantastic sport on show – I certainly intend to. n Tokyo is gearing up to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games "I would sit on the floor and watch the action unfold, marvelling at the latest piece of brilliance or medal-winning moment. Thinking of those times certainly brings back some special memories from my childhood."

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