Randy Snow, former BlazeSports Board Member, Elected to

Class of 2012 International Tennis Hall of Fame

Randy Snow is the second of the Class of 2012 Inductees to be announced. The remainder of the Class of 2012 will be announced within the month ahead. The Induction Ceremony will be July 14, 2012 in Newport, R.I. –

NEWPORT, R.I., USA, February 16, 2012  — Wheelchair tennis superstar and three-time Paralympic medalist Randy Snow has been elected for induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2012. Snow is the second wheelchair tennis player in history to be honored with induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, joining Brad Parks, the pioneering founder of the sport, who was inducted in 2010. In addition to his successful tennis career, Snow was a competitive basketball player and racer. Off the courts, he was an influential leader in the development of Wheelchair Tennis and a tireless advocate for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Snow’s Hall of Fame induction will be a posthumous recognition of his achievements and contributions to the sport. He passed away on November 19, 2009 in El Salvador while volunteering at a wheelchair tennis camp. Randy served on the BlazeSports America Board of Directors for many years.

Click for more on Randy Snow’s Induction

BlazeSports America hosted a group of sport professionals from North Africa and the Middle East who are participants in a US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program in:

SPORTS AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

A Regional Project for Near East and North Africa

U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) has been ongoing since 1940, the IVLP has built mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations through professional visits to the U.S. for current and emerging foreign leaders. These visits support the foreign policy goals of the U.S. government, and mirror the visitors’ professional interests. U.S. embassies select over 4,500 participants from around the globe to take part in these visits to the U.S. Through these encounters, the participants gain a greater understanding of the cultural and political influences in U.S. society by experiencing firsthand America’s culture and people. Our distinguished international professionals represent politics, government, the media, non-governmental organizations, education, public health, the arts, business and trade, international security, and various other fields. Currently, over 320 past and present heads of government and state and many other world leaders in the public and private sectors have participated in the IVLP.

Project Objectives:

The Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

•  Review the history of female participation in fitness and sports programs through school and community-based programs and perceptual changes about female athletes since the late 1970s;

•  Discuss laws prohibiting gender discrimination in education programs, and policies which promote healthy lifestyles and sports;

•  Examine studies that illustrate that sports and fitness contribute to physical, mental, and emotional well being; and

•  Explore the diversity of lifelong sports and wellness programs offered by extracurricular programs, recreational facilities, educational institutions, health clubs, and medical facilities.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Algeria – Mr. Abdelkrim MEDJHOUM - Program Director, Algerian National Basketball Federation

Bahrain – Mr. Tareq Juma Salem BELAL - Swimming Instructor, St. Christopher’s School

Egypt – Ms. Wesam Mohamed OSMAN - Physical Education Teacher, El Masrya Language School

Iraq – Dr. Wasan Hanoon Ali AL-SAEDI - Professor, College of Physical Education, Baghdad University

Jordan – Mr. Fadi Ibrahim Mohammad ALJAZZAZI - Teacher’s Club Supervisor, Ministry of Education

Jordan – Ms. Nehad Mohammad Tomah MAKHADMEH - Physical Education Teacher, Al Ramtha Educational Directorate

Oman – Ms. Suada Salim AL ISMAILI - Director of Women’s Sports, Ministry of Sports Affairs