Dear Sir/Madam,

In Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, the 5^th International Shooting Championship for the Disabled will take place from 21 to 24 June. More than 50 competitors from eight European countries – Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Slovakia and Slovenia – will take part in the competition. The organiser of the championship is the Sports Federation for the Disabled of Slovenia.

The organisation of the competition has been kindly supported by Viktorija Potočnik, the Mayor of the City of Ljubljana, who has thereby proven that Ljubljana is turning into a city friendly to its disabled inhabitants.

Almost a half of this year’s competitors took part in the XI Paralympic Games Sydney 2000. Some of them are even medals winners from Sydney. But above all, all of them are friends and in the line of fire, they are merely competitors and not opponents.

The competition will be held five weeks before the European Championship which will take place in Bredsten in Denmark, which according to the valid qualifications system for the XII Paraolympic Games Athens 2004 is the first qualifications competition where the demanding qualification norms for Athens can be met.

We are pleased that this year’s championship in Ljubljana will be attended by so many competitors and we are particularly glad that we can for the first time greet competitors from Belgium and the Czech Republic.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This year’s championship has not only the immediate significance of a sports event for Slovenia. This year, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the declaration of Slovene independence and 25 June is the Independence Day. Your presence at the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Slovene independence and the championship will make the occasion even more special.

Welcome to Ljubljana! 

President:

Ernest Jazbinšek