Jacques Rogge receives the ‘Paralympic Order’
None other than the Belgian count Jacques Rogge received the 'Paralympic Order' from the Belgian Paralympic Committee on 9 February during the gala evening. It was Sir Philip Craven who presented this highest honour in the Paralympic world to Jacques Rogge. The gala evening was all about the ‘Road to Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games’.
The Paralympic Order is the world's greatest honour to be earned in the field of Paralympics. Rogge was the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2013 and this is his reward for years of effort in support of the Paralympic movement. Sir Philip, president of the Paralympic Committee, confirmed that the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee have become much closer during Rogge's presidency.
Jacques Rogge's response was one of great honour. He also hopes that the Paralympic Games will be able to gain more global recognition, as this is still too limited in his opinion.
In addition to Jacques Rogge, the Belgian skier Elénor Sana was also successful in winning a prize. She won the title of ‘Engie Talent of the Year’. This annual trophy is awarded to a young talented athlete.