ATHENS, Sept. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- The English city Manchester will inaugurate the Paralympic World Cup May 14-15, 2005 and continue to play host for the annual event for at least two more years, it was announced here on Monday.

    Phil Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee(IPC) said IPC has sanctioned the historic event, which comprise of athletics, swimming, wheelchair basketball and track cycling.

    "We are really excited about this event. It has the full support of the IPC and we are sanctioning the event. It will be a brilliant addition to the international calendar that the IPC and other international sports federations have. It is a perfect opportunity for the world's elite athletes to come together and it is set to be a Grand Prix event.

    "We are very excited about the logo and I am particularly pleased about the teamwork going on here. The IPC is sanctioning the event, BBC Sport has been one of the main movers, the Manchester City Council got right behind this along with the Northwest Regional Development Agency and UK Sport (through National Lottery funding)," he said.

    "The BBC believes that this new exciting event will play a crucial role in raising the profile of these athletes. We are excited that we will be broadcasting this event to bridge the gap between Athens and Beijing," said Dave Gordon, a spokesman of the event's broadcasting partner BBC.

    "Even in the early days of these Athens Games we sensed that the Paralympics have been taken to a new level by the IPC and ATHOC. We, as broadcasters, must rise to the challenge and show that the professional approach here is extended throughout disability sports for more than just two weeks every four years."

    "The Paralympic World Cup will offer top-level competition on amore regular basis, expanding awareness of elite disability sport, both in Britain and around the world through BBC TV's coverage," said Phil Lane, Chief Executive of the British Paralympic Association (BPA).

    Alan Pascoe, chief of public relations company Fast Track, said: "The Grand Prix format of the event will present Paralympic sport at its very best and in the most exciting way."

    "The Paralympic World Cup will act as a catalyst for the further development of disability sport within Britain and particularly the Northwest of England," said Chris Simon, the treasurer and trustee of the BPA. Enditem