We were sad to hear the news from the Belgian Paralympic Committee that one of their founding members and a significant personalities within the paralympic movement had passed away at the age of 89.

Dr Chevalier Albert Tricot was amongst the early pioneers that recognised the importance of sports for persons with disabilities, and it is undoubtedly partly thanks to his efforts the Paralympic sports world widely spread and developed to its present international scale.

During his time of developing the movement he worked in collaboration with Sir Ludwig Guttmann as both were convinced of the benefits of sports in the rehabilitation process of persons with a physical motor disability.

In Belgium he work along side Professor Houssa at the Traumatology and Rehabilitation Centre of the Brugmann Hospital in Brussel. In 1960 he founded the Belgian Sports Federation for Persons with a Disability (the FSBH, now the Belgium NPC) and later became a member of the board of Directors from 1985 until 1992.

During a recent interview, he declared "Building up a team with members linked by close relationships and feeling involved in their mission, has always been important to me. My priority was for the Sports. I neglected my own career as a surgeon, which could have brought me fortune and success, for it. Thanks to the sports for persons with a disability, I got to know so many friends relative; such a wonderful experience was not being missed, not for anything on earth".

In this year of their fiftieth anniversary we are sure that this news has brought great sadness to the Belgium NPC, but are certain that they must take great satisfacation from the contribution and support they received from Dr Tricot.

IWAS wish to offer its sympathy to Dr Tricots wife and family.