Philip Craven
Encyclopedia
Sir Philip Craven MBE
(born 4 July 1950 in Bolton
, England
) is a British
sports official and former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee
(IPC).
degree in Geography
at University of Manchester
in 1972. Prior to that he was at Bolton School Boys' Division
. He speaks fluent English and French, as well as basic German.
at five editions of the Paralympic Games
, from 1972
to 1988
. He also competed in track and field athletics and swimming at the 1972 Games.
He won gold at the wheelchair basketball World Championships in 1973, and bronze in 1975, as well two gold medals (1971, 1974) and a silver (1993) at the European Championships. He also won gold at the European Champions Cup in 1994, and gold at the Commonwealth Games
in 1970.
In 1988, Craven was elected Chairperson of the Wheelchair Basketball Section of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), the first athlete to lead the sport worldwide. Craven's striving for self-determination and self-government pave the way for the establishment of wheelchair basketball as an independent federation, when it gave up its previous identification as a basketball section of the ISMGF to become the independent, self-governing International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF)
in 1993. At the First IWBF Official World Congress 1994 in Edmonton
, Alberta
, Philip Craven was elected the first President of IWBF, holding the office until 1998. A productive and more formalized working relationship with FIBA, the worldwide governing body for the sport of basketball, was arranged under Craven's administration, to further legitimize wheelchair basketball itself.
Craven was elected as the second President of the International Paralympic Committee in 2001, a position he continues to hold today.
, a Monaco
-based international organization, committed to serving peace in the world through sport.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 4 July 1950 in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sports official and former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
(IPC).
Education
Craven obtained a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in 1972. Prior to that he was at Bolton School Boys' Division
Bolton School
Bolton School is an independent day school in Bolton, in the North-West of England. It comprises a co-educational Nursery and Infant School and single sex Junior and Senior Schools . With almost 2,400 pupils it is one of the largest independent day schools in the country.-History:Bolton School...
. He speaks fluent English and French, as well as basic German.
Career as an athlete
Craven represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
at five editions of the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
, from 1972
1972 Summer Paralympics
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.- Sports :As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only...
to 1988
1988 Summer Paralympics
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.- Sports :...
. He also competed in track and field athletics and swimming at the 1972 Games.
He won gold at the wheelchair basketball World Championships in 1973, and bronze in 1975, as well two gold medals (1971, 1974) and a silver (1993) at the European Championships. He also won gold at the European Champions Cup in 1994, and gold at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in 1970.
Career in sports administration
In 1980, alongside Horst Strohkendl and Stan Labanowich, Craven played a vital role in the development of a new classification system for wheelchair basketball athletes. Wheelchair basketball rejected its medically-based classification system consisting of 3 classes, a system that was founded upon principles that forced athletes to depend on medical examinations. This progress lead to a new 4-class functional system, which was democratically voted in 1982. Due to this, wheelchair basketball was increasingly associated with sport as opposed to medicine and rehabilitation, although both still play an important secondary role.In 1988, Craven was elected Chairperson of the Wheelchair Basketball Section of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), the first athlete to lead the sport worldwide. Craven's striving for self-determination and self-government pave the way for the establishment of wheelchair basketball as an independent federation, when it gave up its previous identification as a basketball section of the ISMGF to become the independent, self-governing International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF)
International Wheelchair Basketball Federation
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the international governing body for the sport of wheelchair basketball. IWBF is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole competent authority in wheelchair basketball world wide...
in 1993. At the First IWBF Official World Congress 1994 in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Philip Craven was elected the first President of IWBF, holding the office until 1998. A productive and more formalized working relationship with FIBA, the worldwide governing body for the sport of basketball, was arranged under Craven's administration, to further legitimize wheelchair basketball itself.
Craven was elected as the second President of the International Paralympic Committee in 2001, a position he continues to hold today.
Major contributions to paralympic sport
- President, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) (since 2001)
- Member, International Olympic Committee (IOC) (since 2003)
- Member, Executive Board, British Olympic Association (since 2003)
- Board Member, London 2012 Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (since 2005)
- Administration Council Member, International Committee for Fair Play (since 2003)
- Foundation Board Member, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (since 2002)
- Board Member, Olympic Truce Foundation (since 2002)
- Member, IOC Commission for Culture and Olympic Education (since 2005)
- Member, IOC 2008 Beijing Co-ordination Commission (since 2002)
- Member, IOC Sport & Environment Commission (2002–2005)
- Member, IOC Congress 2009 Commission (since 2006)
- President, International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) (1998–2002)
- Chairman, Classification Committee, Basketball Section ISMWSF (1984–1988)
- Chairman, Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball AssociationGreat Britain Wheelchair Basketball AssociationThe Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association is a non-profit organization and the governing body for wheelchair basketball in Great Britain...
(1977–1980, 1984–1987, 1989–1994)
Professional career
- Performance Director, GBWBA Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team (1998–2002)
- Chief Executive Officer, International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (1994–1998)
- Company Secretary, British Coal Corporation (1986–1991)
Commitment
Sir Philip Craven is today an Ambassador for Peace and SportPeace and Sport
Peace and Sport, "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport” is a neutral and apolitical international initiative based in the Principality of Monaco and placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco....
, a Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
-based international organization, committed to serving peace in the world through sport.