Just one week after leading Premiership Footballers Shay Given, Wade Elliott and Michael Duff launched the 2010 BT Paralympic World Cup, one of the world’s most recognisable Paralympic athletes, Oscar Pistorius, has confirmed he will compete in this year’s event.

Fresh from setting a season’s best time of 46.82 seconds over 400m in Pretoria, the South African Paralympic champion has now set his sights on racing in the T44 100m and 400m in Manchester on Tuesday 25 May.

The BT Ambassador is looking to have a strong season and lower his personal best of 46.25 seconds as he strives towards competing in both the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The four-time Paralympic champion, known as the ‘Blade Runner’, will be back in the UK to defend his 100m and 400m titles.

“I’m delighted to be competing in this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup,” he said.

“The event comes at a key time in my season and I will be looking to set fast times in the 100m and 400m. The London Paralympic Games are just two years away now and to have major international competition in the UK is crucial in my preparations as I look to defend my Paralympic titles and also compete in the Olympic Games. I always enjoy competing in Manchester as I receive such great support, from the crowds, my fellow competitors and my sponsors BT.”

BT Group Marketing and Brand Director Suzi Williams said, “It is fantastic news that Oscar has signed up for this year’s BT Paralympic World Cup – he’s such an inspiration to people across the world. I look forward to seeing him compete in Manchester this May.”

Having been cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to compete in IAAF able-bodied events, Oscar narrowly missed qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games but won three gold medals in Beijing to add to his 400m title in Athens in 2004.

The BT Paralympic World Cup is the world’s largest annual multi-sport elite disability event and major international stars and a strong British contingent are expected.

The competition will be staged in Manchester from 25-31 May, with over 400 competitors from over 31 countries scheduled to compete.

For the first time this year, a team challenge has been introduced which sees Great Britain take on teams from the Americas, Europe and the Rest of the World, with athletes competing for the overall BT Paralympic World Cup trophy.

Athletes will compete in four sports at world class competition venues in Manchester: Wheelchair Basketball, Football 7-a-side and Athletics at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

A half price early bird ticket offer for the BT Paralympic World Cup is available by signing up to the newsletter via the event website: www.btparalympicworldcup.com. Tickets go on sale on 29 March 2010.

BT is the title sponsor of the Paralympic World Cup; the sponsorship runs up to and includes the 2012 BT Paralympic World Cup.

The BT Paralympic World Cup is sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association (CPISRA) and the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and supported by BT, ParalympicsGB, the FA, Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

The BBC, the official televised partner to the event, will broadcast live from the Manchester Aquatics Centre on Monday 31 May 2010 on BBC Television.

The event schedule will see Athletics on 25 May, Football 7-a-side on 26-29 May and Wheelchair Basketball on 27-30 May, all at the Manchester Regional Arena and Swimming at the Manchester Aquatics Centre on 31 May.

Follow the BT Paralympic World Cup on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BTPWC