IPC to decide Paris 2024 sports program

Final Paralympic programme will be announced in January 2019.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has launched what it believes will be the most competitive application process yet as it embarks on a 14 month exercise to decide the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport programme.

Currently there are 22 sports on the Paralympic Games programme with athletics, archery, badminton, boccia, canoe, cycling, equestrian, football 5-a-side, goalball, judo, powerlifting, rowing, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis all set to take place at Tokyo 2020.

Badminton and taekwondo will make their Paralympic debut in Tokyo, while canoe and triathlon will both again feature having made their first Paralympic appearance at Rio 2016.

“In line with the growth of the Paralympic Games, the standard and development of all Para sports have increased as well in recent years. As a result, we are conducting the most comprehensive application process in Paralympic history to ensure that the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games features the best possible sports with the strongest global appeal.”

Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said: “We believe that the application process to be included in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport programme will be the most competitive yet with up to 35 International Federations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSD) all vying for places.

“In line with the growth of the Paralympic Games, the standard and development of all Para sports have increased as well in recent years. As a result, we are conducting the most comprehensive application process in Paralympic history to ensure that the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games features the best possible sports with the strongest global appeal.

“For the last 24 months the IPC’s Paralympic Games Committee together with the IPC Management Team has been working hard to determine the criteria sports must meet in order to be included in the Paralympic Games. The result is that no sport is guaranteed its place at Paris 2024.

“The IPC Governing Board aims to shape a competitive and attractive sports programme that will inspire and excite the world in 2024. We strongly support the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) commitment to stimulate women’s participation and involvement in sport by creating more opportunities at the Games. The IPC also shares the IOC desire through Olympic Agenda 2020 to closely monitor and reduce the costs of staging the Games. All International Federations should be mindful of these two areas when applying.”

Application process

The first phase of the application process for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Sport Programme is twofold.

Recognised International Federations (IFs) of summer sports not yet on the Paralympic programme have until 21 November to declare whether they have an interest in applying for a sport or discipline to be included in Paris 2024. Currently the IPC recognises 12 non-Paralympic IFs of summer sports. They are: International Federation of Powerchair Football, International Golf Federation, International Handball Federation, International Hockey Federation, International Surfing Association, World Fly Disc Federation, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), World Armwrestling Federation, World Karate Federation, International Federation of CP Football, World Sailing and International Federation of Sport Climbing. Inas, the International Federation for Intellectual Impairment, is also eligible to apply.

Existing IFs with sports and disciplines on the 2020 Paralympic Games Sport Programme also have until 21 November to suggest additional sports and disciplines for inclusion in the 2024 Games.

On 27 January 2018, the IPC Governing Board will meet in Bonn, Germany, to decide which new sports and disciplines from those who have expressed an interest are eligible to enter Phase 2 of the application process.

From February 2018, the 22 established Paralympic sports, plus those additional sports and disciplines approved by the Governing Board, will be invited to complete a comprehensive application pack by July 2018. The pack features a series of questions that aims to give the IPC detailed information regarding each sport’s governance, rules and regulations, associated costs, anti-doping programme compliance and activities, worldwide reach, quadrennial competition programme and procedures to ensure athlete welfare.

Following a thorough review of all applications, the IPC Governing Board will make its final decision on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport programme in early 2019.

The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries who competed in eight sports – archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball.

Credit photo : Paris 2024