Sport as medicine at the World Sports Games

The inclusion of a particular group of athletes has been a very successful experiment at the VII CSIT World Sports Games. People who are dialysis patients and/or have had a transplantation compete at several venues for their championships. "This is a great opportunity for us to gain national and international recognition," said 36-year-old table tennis player Emanuel Okoye.

The next World Championships will be held in Italy as well. Before that, the increasing community hosted the World Championships in Perth /Australia. "It is a very important concern for us to offer these athletes, in particular, a great international platform also in the context of CSIT competitions," says CSIT President Bruno Molea.

“Why Not?" is the motto of these para-athletes. "Sport is medicine," says Emanuel Okoye aptly. One of the tennis players taking part in the championships in Emilia Romagna explains his enthusiasm for the current competitions in a very humorous way: “I had turned down offers from Wimbledon and the US Open to compete here in Cesenatico."

The competitions for transplant and dialysis athletes are held in cycling time trials, petanque, tennis, volleyball, table tennis, athletics and swimming.