More than 1. The Paralympic Games are the largest global sporting event for athletes with disabilities and have taken place every four years since the inaugural edition in Rome, Italy, in In , the first Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden and featured athletes from 16 countries.
Founded on 22 September as a non-profit organisation, we aim to be athlete-centred and membership-focussed in all our endeavours. Through partnerships with more than member organisations, we leverage Para sport to advance the lives of the 1. Sport for athletes with an impairment has existed for more than years. It was not until after World War II, however, that it was widely introduced.
The purpose of it at that time was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime. Sixteen injured servicemen and women took part in archery at the inaugural Stoke Mandeville Games, which later became the Paralympic Games. Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement; it determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition.
In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.
Classification aims to minimise the impact of the impairment on athletes' performance so that the sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious. Ensuring that athletes are classified prior to competing is crucial to safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the competition. The 22 summer sports are Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, blind football, boccia, Para canoe, Para cycling, Para equestrian, goalball, Para judo, Para powerlifting, Para rowing, shooting Para sport, sitting volleyball, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis.
