I watched the Paralympics in pride and wonder. To see nicely trained athletes performing to such extraordinary requirements in spite

of their disabilities was really inspiring. Quick, skilful movements, bordering around the hazardous at instances had been thrilling

to watch as well as the satisfaction the athletes felt at their achievements had been a joy to find out.

The obvious pleasure of your participants taking aspect at every single level was enormously satisfying plus the understanding that

'Great Britain' 'Big Business' and 'The Unions' had been behind the enterprise, ready to contribute for the athletes' training plus

the good quality of their equipment, must have seemed like the culmination of a fantastic dream. Added to this they had the knowledge

that The Public was supporting them as well as the Volunteers and the Army. For when I appreciated the oft repeated phrase, 'We're all

within this with each other.' The unifying force prevalent all through the 'Games' was just tremendous and all of us knew in the time

that Britain was definitely exceptional in supplying the planning, imagination and care in bringing about this wonderful spectacle of

the Paralympics for The World to view.

I felt only 1 sense disappointment during the complete fortnight. The amount of events accessible to the disabled athletes was

understandably confined to particular sports, but I couldn't recognize why the game of 'Snooker' had not been integrated. I know quite

a few quite fantastic disabled snooker players who had been equally as puzzled. I think the final time the sport was played at an

Olympic level was in 1988 in Seoul when it truly buzzed along after which after that there does not appear to be any proof that

'Snooker' was ever integrated once more within the table of events. I ask this query simply because I understand that although

'Snooker' demands high levels of ability, dexterity and movement, it is a game accessible to disabled folks, and with out the need to

have or use of specialised gear.

My Father, Ray Harrison, was hugely effective at playing this sport as well as extremely prosperous in promoting 'Snooker' to a lot of

disabled men and women. He formed a group in the old Lodge Moor hospital in Sheffield and spent numerous hours coaching other

individuals though enjoying the game and the atmosphere himself. Dad was in a wheelchair, a victim of Polio, but he had learned the

way to lift and move his physique into certain positions which gave him complete control from the snooker table. 1 report published in

the Sheffield Star in 1984 stated, 'Ray moves fluidly around a table both backwards and forwards at speed, and it was difficult to

believe he was handicapped as he had created his capabilities to a fine degree which had enabled him to overcome the physical

restrictions of his disability.' At the time Ray had stated for the reporter that there were not a lot of shots that a disabled

individual couldn't make. In his opinion you just had to develop into proficient in positioning the white ball to make it easier for

oneself and after that you could get pleasure from the game. Mick Langley (Paralympic Snooker Champion 1988) stated, "Ray Harrison was

a legend, he was a single within a million. He taught me lots about the game of snooker and I think that I would not have achieved

half of what I have accomplished if I'd under no circumstances have met him. What a great man!"

Working with this process enabled Ray to play the sport to an extremely higher level, winning three significant medals, silver, bronze

and lastly the considerably coveted 'Paraplegic Planet Snooker Champion Gold Medal' in 1985. He was also described as the ideal

ambassador for disabled sport and travelled to Denmark, Iceland and Malta to compete and appear on their T.V. channels. In 1984 he was

offered the chance to travel to America and was drastically disappointed when this competitors was cancelled as a result of a lack of

sponsorship. But that was then when the ordinary members in the public did not completely comprehend how critical massive sponsors

have been and when venues, sporting fixtures, specific facilities and travel arrangements were extra hard to place into operation. And

that is now 2012 where we value and encourage the determination and spirit that disabled individuals have in abundance and how crucial

it can be when sponsors might be located to help the athletes bring about success not only for themselves, but also for the reputation

of the country.

Dad was such an inspiration. He taught me the sport and by no means lost his enthusiasm, ambitions and hopes it doesn't matter what

setbacks he knowledgeable. He would have loved this period and revelled within the successes on the athletes and I know he would have

discovered a technique to enter in to the thick of it. He would also have encouraged me inside the kind of operate I'm concerned with.

I know from my own experiences that the game of Snooker just isn't only accessible to men and women with physical handicaps it is also

a terrific sport for helping folks with weak, concentrative powers. I train persons who obtain focussing on approach, finding out

exactly where to position the balls and which portion of a ball to strike using the cue incredibly challenging, but I have located

that with patience, respect and specialised tuition they are able to love the sport comply with the rules and discover how to

strengthen their requirements.

I am really keen to see the sport of Snooker reinvigorated and reintroduced into the next Paralympics which will be held in Brazil in

2016. With this in thoughts I am asking for common support in backing my idea and request. I'm organizing on writing for the Olympic

Committee and contacting Seb Coe and Mr Deighton to ask for their tips and if anybody else knows who else I could get in touch with to

attempt and put this request into operation I'd be grateful to hear from them. I'd also be pleased if some of the best players in the

nation would strategy members on the Olympic committee to create a equivalent plea for the reinstatement on the sport as they would of

course have far more clout than I have. The far more individuals I can uncover who will help me within this endeavour the higher

likelihood it's going to have of achievement. We all understand that achievements are important in the lives of in a position bodied

men and women, but much more strongly celebrated when we reach just after a struggle. I as a result would like to see this sport

included within the table of events inside the subsequent games because it is so accessible to both in a position and disabled folks

at each level.