Lögberg-Heimskringla - 28.04.1995, Blaðsíða 1

eimskrmgla
The lcelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnaö 14. janúar 1888
Heimskringla Stofnað 9. september 1886
109. Árgangur
109th Year
Publications Mail Registration No. 1667
Föstudagur 28. apríl 1995
Friday, 28 April 1995
Inside this week:
Rev. Sven Olafsson.................2
lcelanders will go out of their way
for ghosts.......................3
Academic Exchange....................4
New Book from Luxembourg lcelanders.5
Grímkell's Story, twenty-eigth installment.6
Children's Corner....................7
Númer 16
Number 16
lcelandic
News
Rescue Dogs:
■ An annual course for rescue dogs and
their owners has just ended in Akureyri.
The course was conducted by the Dog
Rescue Association of lceland, at
F á. I k a f e I I ,
A k u r e y r i .
T wenty-fi ve
dogs and the|r
owners from
various parts of
lceland took
part in the
course. There
was a lot of
interest this
time and 13
new dogs were
entered for
training. There
are now trained dogs in every area of
the country. This has been a difficult
winter with many avalanches, and it has
become clear that time is important in
these rescue operations.
Haraldur Bessason
Honoured:
■ The annual celebration of the
University of Akureyri was held recently.
Students and teachers did not let heavy
snow and bad weather hold them back,
but flocked to the celebration. Haraldur
Bessason, former rector of the universi-
ty, was special guest of the evening and
was honoured by the Student
Association. A new logo for the school
was also introduced, but students had
voted between a few selections the day
before. Þorsteinn Gunnarsson, the uni-
versity's present rector, addressed the
gathering. His light hearted address was
well received. Students entertained, and
after dinner the musical group Karakter
played for the dance.
Sports for All - Are you Game?
Iceland draws disabled
into world of athletics
By Oliver Magnússon
rom the first to the ninth
of July this year, in New
Haven, Connecticut, the
Special Olympics Inter-
national Summer Games
will take place. Twenty-eight mentally
handicapped Icelanders, selected
from different parts of the country,
will be participating. The Sports
Association for the Disabled in
Iceland would like to use the oppor-
tunity to introduce to you the Special
Olympics and the operation of the
Sports Association for the Disabled in
Iceland.
The Sports Association for the
Disabled In Iceland (ÍF) is one of 21
special associations representing the
different sports practiced within the
Icelandic Sports Federation (ÍSÍ) Its
unique position, however, compared
to the other special associations is
that it does not represent any one par-
ticular sport, but almost all sports
practiced in Iceland. Therefore ÍF has
sometimes been called “little ÍSÍ” as
their structure is more like that of ÍSÍ
rather than that of the special associa-
tions.
Needless to say sports are very
important to the disabled in develop-
ing their physical strength, besides
enhancing their self-confidence and
social competence, which is often lim-
ited among the disabled.
The Sports Association for the
Disabled in Iceland was founded May
17, 1979. It comprises district associa-
tions or special councils, and includes
all sports clubs within the Icelandic
Sports Federation which have on
their programme to practice or com-
pete in sports for the disabled.
The task of the association is to
supervise all sports practiced by the
disabled in Iceland, be responsible for
information and education in that
aspect, represent Iceland in foreign
relations regarding sports for the dis-
abled and look after the interests of
ali disability groups within ÍF, which
are: mentally handicapped, physically
handicapped, sight impaired/blind
and deaf/hard of hearing.
ÍF has still got a long way to go,
because there are still too many dis-
abled individuals in all parts of the
Ollver Magnússon (L); Eva Becker, editor ofthe New York newsletter
(centre)and Sveinn Aki Luövíksson oflceland’s Special Olympics.
Your support — fínancially or psychologically — is
important! Contact the ÍF and the Special Olympics
Int. in Iceland, tel: 354-5686301 and fax: 354-568315
or send c/o the Lögberg-Heimskringla.
country, who to date have not yet had
the opportunity to get acquainted
with sports or to participate in them.
It is the goal of IF that all disabled
individuals who are interested, may
have the opportunity to participate in
sports. That goal will only be reached
by involving more interested persons
in these matters, besides encouraging
presentation in schools and among
the public health authorities
ÍF has always emphasized youth
sport, and thus sown the seeds that in
return have reaped livelier and health-
ier disabled individuals, having
emerged from the isolation of the dis-
abled, as happier more independent
persons in everyday life.
Disabled school children often do
not enjoy the compulsory physical
education. Instead these children
have access to training in sports clubs
for the disabled, and therefore it can
be said that ÍF plays an important part
also in that respect.
ÍF has 22 associate clubs, which
are special sport clubs for disabled in
• various parts of the country. ÍF tries to
serve every associate club as well as
possible, by passing information in
relation with sports for the disabled
assisting the clubs with ideas in
fund-raising, in development work,
subsidizing members’ participation in
competition efc^^l^i^organizes
courses and^nejetings, Ih various
places, visits schools, since co-opera-
tion with schools and the public
health authorities is very important in
the promotional work.
Besides the work in Iceland, the ÍF
is Iceland’s representative regarding
sports for the disabled in foreign rela-
tions.
ÍF presently chairs the Nord-HIF
which is a joint organization of sports
associations for disabled in the
Nordic countries, and thus acts as the
spokesman of sports for disabled in
the Nordic countries, at international
meetings and conferences.
ÍF is also a member of intemation-
al organizations for the various dis-
ability groups, such as: Intemational
Paralympic Committee (IPC), Special
Olympics, etc. and participates in
tournaments and meetings held by
these organizations. This makes the
volume of the work extensive abroad
as well as at home.
It should be kept in mind that the
same rules apply for the disabled and
healthy athletes, both according to
Icelandic and international regula-
tions. The only exception is that it is
not possible to expect a disabled ath-
lete to do something that is physically
impossible for him because of his dis-
ability, such as for a one-armed swim-
mer to put both hands on the bank as
the rules depict.
Cont'd p. 3
'^&COUBÖW^'