Sumgayit hosts Paralympic children sports festival
By Nigar Orujova
Azerbaijan's first Paralympic children sports festival will be held at the Paralympic sports complex in the third largest city of Azerbaijan.
The festival starts on December 26 in Sumgayit, and aims to rehabilitate and help disabled children with their integration into society and engagement in sports.
The event is held in the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the Azerbaijan National Paralympic Committee and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in October 2013.
The MOU is dedicated to the formation and development of children's Paralympic movement.
Earlier in September, the world's first Children's Paralympic Committee was established in Azerbaijan. The movement aims to encourage more disabled children to engage in sports and physical education.
Azerbaijani athletes achieved great success at the summer 2012 Paralympic Games in London, gaining 12 medals and becoming 27th out of a total of 166 countries. At the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008, Azerbaijan won 10 medals, ranking 37th.
Paralympic athletes participated in the 10th Atlanta Summer Paralympic Games in 1996 for the first time in the history of Paralympic sports in Azerbaijan with two athletes representing two sports.
Azerbaijani Paralympic athletes are currently taking part in competitions in 10 sports.
Azerbaijani Paralympians, represented by ten athletes, accomplished remarkable success at the Paralympic Games in France in July 2013, while Azerbaijani athlete broke world record at the 3rd IPC European Shooting Championship in October.