15 athletes receive bursaries

Fifteen athletes supported by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence shared $43,000 in bursaries handed out Thursday at the Claude Robillard Sports Centre as part of the Défi Sportif.

The 29th edition of the Défi Sportif, which started on Monday, brings together about 4,000 athletes with disabilities from 15 countries competing in 13 disciplines from track and field to ball hockey, and from boccia to swimming. The event continues through Sunday.

The Programme de bourses Loto-québec, which is now in its fifth year, looks to support athletes with physical disabilities in their quest for excellence at the provincial, national and international level. The program is managed by the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence in collaboration with various sports federations and associations benefiting athletes with physical disabilities.

Among the athletes receiving bursaries on Thursday were five para-cyclists: Marie-claude Molnar, a double bronze medallist in the International Cycling Union; Daniel Chalifour, a triple medallist at the 2011 Para-pan-american Championships; Robert Labbé, a double silver medallist at the 2011 World Cup; Alexandre Carrier, who finished fourth at the time trial event at the 2011 ICU World Cup; and Mark Beggs, who was 12th in the time-trial event at the 2011 ICU World Championships.

Among deaf and hearingimpaired athletes receiving bursaries were basketball player Steven Kuzo Okito, a gold medallist at the 2010 World Championships in the U-21 category, and boxer Maude Bergeron, a national champion in the 81-kg division. Other bursary recipients were Philippe Bédard in wheelchair tennis, Maude Jacques in wheelchair basketball and Lyne Tremblay in Paralympic Archery.

Other winners were: Francis Hébert in Paralympic track; Josée Lamothe and Marco Dispaltro in boccia, and Nancy Morin and Simon Tremblay in goalball.