The Foundation for Global Sports Development extends partnership to Agitos Foundation

The development arm of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Agitos Foundation, has announced a partnership with The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) to support awareness-raising and coach development activities.

The collaboration will benefit projects currently under the Agitos Foundation’s 2015 Grant Support Programme. The Grant Support Programme is in its third year and provides support to the IPC membership for development projects from the grass-roots right through to the high-performance level.

The partnership with GSD is part of the Agitos Foundation’s aim to raise the visibility and resource available to the para-sport projects it supports.

GSD supports initiatives that promote fair play, education as well as the physical and developmental benefits of sport.

“We consider it an honour to be a part of the Paralympic Movement by supporting the Agitos Foundation and its Grant Support Programme,” said GSD Executive Board Member, Dr. Steven Ungerleider.

“This vital programme helps to strengthen para-sport around the world and make sport an inclusive experience for everyone,” added David Ulich, Executive Board Member of GSD.

Georg Schlachtenberger, Director of the Agitos Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have GSD come on board as a partner of the Agitos Foundation. They have supported the Paralympic Movement since 2012 and helped the IPC to kick start its Proud Paralympian programme, which aims to support athletes throughout their career and beyond. GSD also helped the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships A-Pool reach new audiences around the world.

“Their new involvement with the Agitos Foundation in the areas of awareness and education is a hugely helpful step in our ambition to develop para-sport from grassroots to Paralympic success.”

Projects that will benefit include regional Paralympic Days in Benin, Tanzania and Guinea that will encourage the practice of para-sport and help to grow the talent-pool in each country.

In Benin regional Paralympic Days will be organised, while in Guinea the NPC will be supported to raise awareness of the Paralympic Movement in the media and to organise para-sport demonstrations in five towns. It is hoped these projects will help to attract the attention of policy makers and financial partners, as well as the general public.

Para-sport will be promoted in schools, universities and colleges in the Illala and Temeke Municipalities and Kibaha District in Tanzania by the NPC. This will lead to the identification of new talent, increased access to sport for people with impairments, potential new partners and promoting the inclusion of women.

Additionally, the support provided by GSD will go towards IPC Powerlifting’s coach education project, which will also have a direct impact in Africa, as eight new educators from around the world will be trained to deliver the new High Performance Para-Powerlifting Coaching Course.

The course follows on from the success of the Introduction to Para-Powerlifting Coaching Course developed by the sport in 2015. It will see educators from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Europe trained not only to teach coaching of high performance sport, but also to involve them in the development of the course content to ensure its quality and relevance.