The Australian Paralympic Committee "has implored the next federal government to drastically increase funding for Paralympic sport," which it claims has been set at half the proportion the British Paralympic team will receive leading up to the 2016 Rio Games. The APC submitted a "hard-hitting" Policy Paper this week "outlining what it says are serious inequities in support for people with a disability to participate in sport, compared with support provided to able-bodied Australians" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/13). ... South Africa's amateur boxers are "out in the cold" after the sport's governing body, the Int'l Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), suspended the national organization, "largely because of alleged interference by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee." In a letter sent to the SA National Boxing Organization over the weekend, AIBA Exec Dir Ho Kim wrote that AIBA's exec had "decided to provisionally suspend Sanabo from Aiba with effect from Sunday" (SOWETAN LIVE, 8/13). ... Racing Queensland "has announced a new Hendra vaccination program for racehorses in the state." Racing Queensland Chair Kevin Dixon said that the Hendra vaccination program, which is a first for racing in Australia, "would not immediately be mandatory" (AAP, 8/13). ... Former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia on Tuesday backed the much-debated Indian Premier League-style football tournament of IMG-Reliance, scheduled to start in January, "and is confident that it would help revive the sport in the country." Bhutia: "I think the new tournament is great for Indian football. Being the president of the players' association, I have spoken to the players and they are looking forward to it" (PTI, 8/13). ... The Election Commission of Pakistan "has expressed its inability to conduct the election" for Pakistan Cricket Board Chair on the pretext "that it does not have the mandate to do so" (APP, 8/13).
