Less than 9 months to go until the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where the Hungarian team might qualify in a record number of sports. K&H’s Move! Paralympic Scholarship Programme is also helping in the final period: the bank supports the dedicated work of a boccia player, a wheelchair fencer and a table tennis specialist this year.
Nine months to go until the XVII Summer Paralympic Games, where the Hungarian Paralympic Team is foreseen to break records. The summer games will see athletes compete in 22 sports, from that the Hungarian athletes are taking part in the qualification rounds for 17 individual sports. So far, the Hungarian Paralympic Team has secured 12 quotas in 7 sports, but the qualification period for several sports will last until the end of July. Therefore it is possible that someone will only find out if they have qualified for the games less than two months before the event.
’K&H has been supporting the Hungarian Paralympic Team for 17 years, so the 2024 Games in Paris will be the fifth time we have worked together to cheer on Hungarian excellence’, said Guy Libot, CEO of K&H Group.’These determined athletes are doing their outmost to be the best in Paris, and their commitment should be an example to all, whether in sport, professionally or personally. At K&H, we are committed to helping them with financial support so that they can prepare for their competitions as smoothly as possible. This year, we are also supporting a boccia athlete, a young wheelchair fencer and a table tennis specialist with our K&H Move! paralympic scholarship programme, with a gross amount of one million forints each.’
Since 2007, the K&H move! scholarship programme, including this year’s winners, has supported 34 para athletes and supporters with a total of 29 million forints. Six of the winners are already guaranteed to compete in Paris, and a further eleven have a good chance of qualifying.
’The Hungarian Paralympic Team is already preparing for next year’s Paralympic Games in Paris. Our goal is to achieve the best results of all time with the biggest team ever. Our team will include both experienced Paralympians and young hopefuls. The role of the professionals who will train them will be invaluable on the road to Paris. We are delighted that K&H Bank, which has been committed to our athletes and sports professionals for 17 years, continues to support parasport. Heartfelt congratulations to the award winners and on behalf of the Hungarian Paralympic Team, I would like to thank K&H Bank for its confidence in us’ – said László Szabó, President of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee.
The 2023 winners of the K&H Move! paralympic scholarship programme:
Adult category: Alexandra Szabó, boccia
The 23-year-old para athlete was introduced to boccia 10 years ago when she joined one of her classmates in a game. In recent years, she has excelled in numerous international competitions: in the current Paralympic cycle, she already has a total of 11 medals (5 singles, 6 doubles) from various world competitions. Her most notable successes include the European Championship title, which he won in Seville in 2021, and a silver medal in doubles. This year, they took second place in the Multisport Para European Championships in the individual event and fourth in the doubles event. She also won World Cup gold and silver medals in the individual in 2023, and in the team event, she and her teammates won the World Cup, two World Cup silver medals and finished fourth in the European Championships in the same period.
Hope category: Anna Nádasdy, wheelchair fencing
Leukaemia attacked her body at a young age, which resulted in a shin prosthesis, but this has not hindered her from continuing fencing. The 18 year old athlete won a gold medal in the dagger and sword and a bronze medal in the duel at the U-23 World Championships last year. She defended his world titles at this year’s U23 World Championships, as well. Anna has also achieved significant success as a member of the adult wheelchair national team, winning gold with the women’s dagger team at last year’s Wheelchair Fencing World Cup and bronze at this year’s World Championships.
Helper category: Tímea Vígh, masseur of the para table tennis team
Tímea supports the Hungarian para table tennis players behind the scenes. The team’s masseuse focuses not only on the physical health of the athletes, but also on their mental well-being, with many Paralympians turning to her for help, when they are at training camps or international competitions. The specialist will certainly take part in the Paralympics in Paris, as the Hungarian team already has a quota in para table tennis.