Meet Noggi and Joggi: the Arnhem 1980 Paralympic Mascots

Noggi and Joggi are the first official mascots created for the Paralympic Games. They are two squirrels wearing uniforms which had the logo of the Arnhem 1980 Games.

Noggi and Joggi were printed on memorabilia sold during the Games in the Dutch city, and contributed to spreading the excitement of Paralympic sports.

Get to Know: the Design and Symbolism

Noggi and Joggi were created through a competition held by AVRO, a Dutch broadcasting company, in which entrants were asked to send in hand-made models of squirrels. The entries were judged by a jury, which included Dutch table tennis athlete Irene Schmidt. The winning pair was designed by Necky Oprinsen from St. Michelsgestel in the Netherlands.

Squirrels were the perfect mascots for the Arnhem 1980 Games because they were commonly found near the National Sports Centre Papendal, which staged some of the competition. Squirrels get many hard nuts to crack in their lifetimes, just like Paralympians as athletes and persons with disabilities who face challenges in life.

ⒸIPC