The Israel ParaSport Center (The Center; Formerly Israel Sport Center for the Disabled (ISCD); ) is an Israeli institution operated by
ILAN Ilan may refer to:
Organization
*ILAN, Israeli umbrella organization for the treatment of disabled children
Given name
*Ilan (name), a Hebrew/Israeli name
*Ilan Bakhar, a retired Israeli footballer
*Ilan Araújo Dall'Igna, a Brazilian footballer
...
aimed at rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities.
History
The Israel ParaSport Center was established in 1960 in
Ramat Gan
Ramat Gan (, ) is a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, located east of the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is part of the Gush Dan, Gush Dan metropolitan area. It is home to a Diamond Exchange District (one of the world's major diamond exch ...
by ILAN activist
Betty Dubiner. The
land lot
In real estate, a land lot or plot of land is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner(s). A plot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property (meaning practically the sam ...
was provided by the municipality of Ramat Gan and the initial facilities were constructed partly due to a donation by
Bella and Samuel Spewack
Bella (25 March 1899 – 27 April 1990) and Samuel Spewack (16 September 1899 – 14 October 1971) were a writing team.
Samuel, who also directed many of their plays, was born in Bachmut, Ukraine. He attended Stuyvesant High School in New Yor ...
from income made on their play
Kiss Me, Kate
''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...
. It was first of its kind in Israel and one of the few operating at the time worldwide.
In its early years, The Center was mostly used by
Polio
Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
virus victims. In later years it was adjusted to serve those with
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...
, Israeli citizens injured during their military service with the
IDF, survivors of
car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. T ...
s and
terrorist attacks
The following is a list of terrorist incidents that were not carried out by a state or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism). Assassinations are presented in List of assassinations and unsuccessful attempts at List o ...
and others with disabilities.
During its first years, The Center was used by 200 active sportsmen, while in 2007 it was used by approximately 80% of disabled people in Israel. It also has the highest percentage, internationally, of physically disabled children. Its current 2,000 members are active in approximately 20 sport fields, mostly in
wheelchair
A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditio ...
s. Today, The Center houses a wide variety of sport fields:
Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...
,
wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is a style of basketball played using a sports wheelchair. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ...
,
wheelchair soccer
{{unreferenced, date=May 2018
Wheelchair soccer is a variation of association football, in which all of the participants are wheelchairs users due to physical disability. Intellectual disabilities can also be a factor, but this is not always the ...
,
table tennis
Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...
,
wheelchair tennis
Wheelchair tennis is one of the forms of tennis Adaptive sport, adapted for wheelchair users. The size of the court, net height and rackets are the same, but there are two major differences from pedestrian tennis: athletes use specially designe ...
, wheelchair
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...
and
tricycle
A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle.
Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...
races. It also houses a
gym
A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
, private sport sessions and classes of
hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and Physical therapy, physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and ...
and
paramedical
A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), m ...
care.
Members of The Center take part, since its establishment, in the
Stoke Mandeville Games
Stoke may refer to:
Places Canada
* Stoke, Quebec
New Zealand
* Stoke, New Zealand
United Kingdom Berkshire
* Stoke Row
Bristol
* Stoke Bishop
* Stoke Gifford
* Bradley Stoke
* Little Stoke
* Harry Stoke
* Stoke Lodge
Buckin ...
and the
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...
. Their achievements gained Israel a reputation in the field of rehabilitation. The wheelchair basketball team of the center had so far won two Paralympic gold medals, two world championships and three European championships.
The Center was used to host the
1968 Summer Paralympics
The 1968 Summer Paralympics () were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time. ...
, as the municipality of Ramat Gan made adjustments throughout the city and The Center was the main facility used for hosting the swimming and wheelchair basketball tournaments.
כך התארגנה ישראל לאירוח המשחקים הפראלימפיים בתוך שנה
Ynet, 3.12.2018.
Today, it is also a social meeting place for its members and houses different programs of yoga
Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
and wheelchair dancing. On its premises is also a kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
for children with disabilities age 3 to 7.
The administrative staff of the ISCD includes its chairman and former director, Jacob Ben-Arie, a gold medal-winning Paralympic champion, head coach Baruch Hagai
Baruch Hagai (; born 1944) is an Israeli paralympic champion.
Early life
Hagai was born in Tripoli, Libya, to a Jewish family of 13. At the age of two he contracted polio, and five years later his family made aliyah to Israel. The family settled ...
, a Paralympic champion and winner of the 2001 Israel Prize
The Israel Prize (; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
Prior to the Israel Prize, the most significant award in the arts was the Dizengoff Prize and in Israel ...
in sports, and director Boaz Kramer
Boaz Kramer (; born 12 January 1978) is an Israeli former professional wheelchair tennis player.
Biography
Boaz Kramer was born partially paralyzed in his left arm and both legs. At the age of five he began practicing disabled sports at the I ...
, a Paralympic silver medalist.
The Center is sponsored by donations in Israel and worldwide, with only 1% of its budget subsidized by the state. Israel ParaSport Center Friends organizations are found in the United States and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
References
{{reflist
External links
ISCD's official site
Parasports organizations
Sports venues in Ramat Gan
1960 establishments in Israel
Disability organizations based in Israel
1968 Summer Paralympics