Manchester eo welcome a touch of Paris
UK soul queen Mica Paris has exclusively teamed up with BT to donate her single Hold On as the official anthem to this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup.
Taken from her latest album, Born Again (released by label Rhythm Riders), Hold On is an inspirational track that Paris hopes will encourage the world’s best athletes as they descend on Manchester for the largest annual multi-sport elite disability competition.
With the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games just over two years away, Mica has recognised the opportunities for the Games to inspire a nation and leave a long-lasting legacy and, as a Londoner herself, Mica contacted BT to offer her support to the BT Paralympic World Cup.
The track will be used throughout the tournament, taking place from 25-31 May, and Mica will attend this year’s event as a special guest, which will see over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.
Mica said, “I’m delighted to support the BT Paralympic World Cup by donating my track Hold On as the official anthem for this year’s event. As a Londoner, I see firsthand the difference that the Olympics and Paralympics can make. Athletes have the power to inspire people and the BT Paralympic World Cup is a fantastic chance to see the world’s best Paralympic athletes compete against each other. I’m excited to be attending this year’s event and encourage anyone who can make it to come to Manchester to show their support.”
BT Group marketing and brand director Suzi Williams said, “We’re really pleased BT can help bring this new dimension to the BT Paralympic World Cup this year. This is just the first of many new initiatives we hope to bring to the event between now and 2012.”
Mica, who will be touring in May as special guest on the Boyz II Men 20th Anniversary Tour, was pictured today with BT Ambassador Ade Adepitan, a Paralympic bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Games with the men’s Wheelchair Basketball team and who is actively involved in the event as a BBC commentator.
Adepitan said, “The BT Paralympic World Cup has grown in prominence over the past few years and since its inception in 2005 has proven to be a crucial international event for the world’s finest Paralympic athletes.
For Mica Paris to donate a track as the official anthem to the event really does show the stature the competition has and it is fantastic to have her support and involvement.”
Ade will be hoping the GB men’s Wheelchair Basketball team can build on their third place finish from last year’s event as they take on some of the best teams in the world in Australia, Canada and Italy. The GB women will also face a tough battle against Canada, Australia and the Netherlands in action on the court at the Manchester Regional Arena from 27-30 May.
Overall, athletes will compete in four sports at world class competition venues in Manchester: Wheelchair Basketball, Football 7-a-side and Athletics at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.
For the first time this year, a team challenge has been introduced which sees Great Britain take on teams from the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World, with athletes competing for the overall BT Paralympic World Cup trophy.
Tickets for the BT Paralympic World Cup are now on sale and can be purchased via the event website: www.btparalympicworldcup.com or by calling 0844 8471622. Tickets are priced at £6 per session.
BT is the title sponsor of the Paralympic World Cup; the sponsorship runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.
The BT Paralympic World Cup is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association (CPISRA) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and supported by BT, ParalympicsGB, the FA, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
The BBC, the official televised partner to the event, will broadcast live from the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Monday 31 May 2010 on BBC Television.
The event schedule will see Athletics on 25 May, Football 7-a-side on 26-29 May and Wheelchair Basketball on 27-30 May, all at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on 31 May.
For more details on Mica’s latest album and May tour: www.micaparis.com
Follow the BT Paralympic World Cup on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BTPWC