Greek Para athletes heading to Rio with poor funding, but big dreams

Greece's Paralympic team was presented on Tuesday in Athens in a ceremony attended by the country's political leadership which wished para athletes good luck, pledging more hard work to facilitate their lives inside and outside stadiums.

Despite the poor funding by the debt ridden state, with the support of sponsors, their families and friends, Greece's team will travel to Brazil on Wednesday with great dreams in their luggage, para athletes said during the event.

At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, starting September 7, Greece will be represented by 41 men and 13 women in wheelchair tennis, power lifting, sailing, swimming, boccia, wheelchair fencing, cycling, sharpshooting, track-and-field, judo and archery.

They intend to return with as many medals as possible. The best Paralympic performance of Greece was in the 2008 Beijing Games, when the nation finished 20th with 5 gold medals and 24 in total.

Regardless of medals, para athletes have already won the respect and admiration of Greek society for their strength and determination in overcoming hurdles inside and outside athletic fields, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, party leaders, ministers and other dignitaries and fans stressed during the presentation.

"Everyone's wishes for great successes, larger than the successes you have achieved in the past, will accompany you to Rio and we're certain that you will succeed because of your ethos," Pavlopoulos said addressing the event.

"Apart from our wishes, you have already won everyone's recognition with your achievements and your emblematic way of life, representing the genuine Olympic ideals. Good luck. We are and will be proud of you," he added.

"I promise we will return with several medals, because we have as strong team. I believe we will reach London's collection when we won 12 medals. We may receive even more. I hope everything goes well and we will return with more smiles, more optimism and joy and make Greece proud," George Fountoulakis, the President of the Hellenic Paralympic Committee, told Xinhua.

"It is one of the greatest sports events worldwide. It is an event we all want to attend and we are trying and we will try hard to represent our country in the best possible manner," Manolis Stefanoudakis, the bronze medalist in javelin in London, added.

Swimmer Antonis Tsapatakis stressed that para athletes also gain strength to move forward in sports and in life from society's support. They need it.

Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines on the ceremony, he said he is happy that more and more people as time goes by are embracing people with disabilities and are showing support inside and outside athletic courts.

"(People) understand that we are no different than others. We do not have anything more. We do not have anything less. We are equals. Peoples' positive response is giving us energy and the determination to move ahead and aim higher," he explained.

Due to the seven-year debt crisis funding from the state to para athletes, as well as the athletes who competed in the Summer Rio Games, has dwindled in recent years. Federations and coaches are complaining about the inadequate training facilities. Sponsors are filling in the gaps.

Among the para athletes who thanked on Tuesday the Greek state and all Greeks supporting their bid to pursue their dreams, was also Syrian refugee swimmer Ibrahim al Hussein who is living, working and training in Greece and will be one of the two refugees who will symbolically compete at the Rio Paralympics forming the Independent Paralympic Athletes Team.

He received a warm applause when he thanked Greece for the support he has received and pledged to dedicate his medal to Greeks if he reaches the top at Rio.

Al Hussein will take part in the Games following a proposal made by the Hellenic Paralympic Committee. It will be the first time such a team will compete at the Paralympic Games.

Al Hussein was thrust into the spotlight last April when he symbolically represented the refugees carrying the Olympic Flame inside a refugee camp in Athens.

His presence at the Games along an Iranian para athlete who lives in the US is expected to help raise awareness of the plight of the millions of refugees and asylum seekers. Endit