“There is a tremendous need to make a neat inclusion of the sport for people with different abilities. Each of these kids has their own ability, and it stands out in such actions."

The Portuguese Volleyball Federation (FPV) has been promoting social inclusion through its recent sitting volleyball project held for young people with physical and intellectual impairments.

At the same venue that hosted the World League matches starring the national teams of Portugal and Finland, young players from Clube Deportivo da Povoa (the local youth sports club) and MAPADI (the Support Movement of parents and friends of people with intellectual disabilities) had the chance to play together on 2 July at the Povoa de Varzim in Porto.

“Success is the word that best describes this project especially taking into account the very short period of time since we started working on it,” FPV coordinator for sitting volleyball Daniel Lacerda said. “There is a tremendous need to make a neat inclusion of the sport for people with different abilities. Each of these kids has their own ability, and it stands out in such actions.

“If you see the images of the report, you will notice how the facial expression of these young people reflects everything that happened in this short time. That is the kind of success that we were looking for. We are offering them the chance to play, keeping in mind that the sports federations – beside the competitive side – play a fundamental role in terms of social responsibility as well.”

MAPADI’s director Pedro Amaro added: “The first impression was very good, very rewarding. You can see that stamped on their faces, that they loved it, that they had fun. The interaction was very good and I think that this kind of initiative ishould be repeated.

Sport works as an incentive to these youngsters. They love to participate in these activities and they are always ready to join.”

For more information on the FPV’s sitting volleyball projects, please visit their website.