Puerto Rico strengthen government ties

“We have achieved a good and strong strategic alliance with government agencies, including the Department of Recreation and Sports, which is the entity that governs the sports organisations.”

The Puerto Rico National Paralympic Committee (NPC) has successfully improved their relationship with the national government after they received training through the Agitos Foundation.

Puerto Rico have used the Foundation’s Organisational Capacity Programme (OCP) to provide three training workshops attended by nearly 50 people. The workshops included members of the NPC, National Federations, coaches and managers, bringing everyone together to ensure a common voice about para-sport in the country.

Dr. German Perez Rodriguez, the Vice President of the NPC, noted how in particular the government’s approach has changed since the NPC took part in the OCP.

“One of the most important points is that it has established a better relationship with government authorities. They have co-sponsored trainings and receive the results of evaluations.

“We have achieved a good and strong strategic alliance with government agencies, including the Department of Recreation and Sports, which is the entity that governs the sports organisations.”

The NPC have also begun alliances with important institutions; the State Council on Disability Development, which opens bids for innovative proposals that impact people with developmental impairments, and the Institute of Deficiency in Development, University of Puerto Rico.

Rodriguez continued: “Moreover, the National Federations feel more committed to the functions of the Paralympic Committee. Similarly, we have better and more enthusiastic coaches. Both managers and coaches can talk to achieve better ownership of the Paralympic Movement”.

Puerto Rico were one of 12 NPCs selected to take part in the OCP to improve opportunities and organisation of para-sport at a national level in 2014. They sent a programme lead to be trained, and then had to deliver their own national workshops.

In addition to the relationship-building, they are also working hard to develop their sports programme.

Following a national qualification event in the city of Mayaguez, which was also achieved as a result of training received through the OCP, 28 athletes have travelled to Toronto, Canada, for the 2015 Parapan Am Games, which runs from 7-15 August. That is the biggest delegation since the first edition in 1999, with athletes competing in athletics, wheelchair basketball, goalball, judo, tennis, table tennis, archery and swimming.

For the first time since 1999, the ‘National Paralympic Games’ was held in partnership with the Municipality of Vega Baja, who provided sports facilities for free. This will now take place annually.

The NPC is also planning to introduce a schools programme that aims to identify young para-athletes and are establishing a national para-athletics federation.

Rodriguez will travel to Toronto 2015 not just as the Chef de Mission, but as the leader of a team getting better all the time.

The OCP, which has trained nearly 50 programme leads from 50 countries, aims to give NPCs the knowledge, support and tools to develop athletes, as well as increase their activities in other important areas such as Games preparation and fundraising over a two-year period.