Children's Paralympic movement to be launched in Azerbaijan
By Nigar Orujova
Children's paralympic movement will be established in Azerbaijan, according to a resolution adopted by the National Paralympic Committee on August 15.
The movement, which will operate under the committee, aims to encourage more disabled children in the country to engage in sports and physical education. The movement will also prepare the sports reserve in paralympic sports.
Moreover, the resolution envisages study of foreign experience in children's paralympic movements, preparation of statistics on children with disabilities, measures on their rehabilitation, and work with NGOs.
This decision provides for drafting a conceptual document and its approval by the Committee board within a month.
The project by the paralympics committee will also serve to integrate disabled children to the society, as well as facilitate habilitation and rehabilitation of physically challenged children.
Azerbaijani athletes achieved great success at the summer 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.
The Committee also endorsed a strategic action plan for the next four years to protect and develop these achievements, and prepare for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Paralympics.
The plan also aims to expand Paralympic sports around the country, to help professional disabled athletes to attain progress, increase management and promotional work, and expand cooperation with international sports organizations.
Paralympic athletes for the first time in the history of the Paralympic sports in Azerbaijan participated in the 10th Atlanta Summer Paralympic Games in 1996 with two athletes representing two sports.
The Paralympic movement in the country is expanding. The Paralympic committee brings together hundreds of athletes. Currently Azerbaijani athletes take part in competitions in 11 sports.
In July 2013, Azerbaijani Paralympians, represented by ten athletes, achieved remarkable success at the Paralympic Games in France.
Vladimir Zayets set a world record with a score of 15.3 meters in the triple jump and took first place at the world championships, while Samir Nabiev and Kamil Aliyev won silver medals in the discus throw and long jump accordingly, and Rza Osmanov won bronze in the discus throw.