APC Gathering attendees commit to making Asia ‘best region’ in Paralympic Movement

“In order to achieve the many potential opportunities that exist in the region we must first work together, build trust and draft a strategic plan that reflects the wishes of the membership.”

The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC), with the help of host United Arab Emirates Paralympic Committee, organised the first ever APC Gathering this week (9- 11 May) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At the conclusion of the gathering, APC president Majid Rashed read the proposed Abu Dhabi Declaration, which was unanimously agreed.

“The National Paralympic Committees representatives who attended the first APC Gathering in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 9-11 May 2015, unanimously declare their commitment to work in unity together with the board of the APC to aim to make Asia the best region in the Paralympic Movement,” the declaration read.

The gathering brought together more than 100 delegates from 30 APC members, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and sport institutions, to discuss the APC’s future direction and inform the drafting of their first strategic plan. In a similar format inspired by October 2014’s IPC Gathering, the proceedings allowed for more than 20 hours of facilitated discussion on key strategic areas for development.

It is hoped the new APC strategy will provide a better platform for the differently-abled athletes from the region and deliver more support to NPCs.

“Following my election late last year, it was clear that we needed to quickly demonstrate the future objectives of the new board to engage with the membership and establish transparency and clear communication,” Rashed said. “The Asian region is a diverse community which represents over half the world’s population. In order to achieve the many potential opportunities that exist in the region we must first work together, build trust and draft a strategic plan that reflects the wishes of the membership.”

The APC looked not just at supporting Paralympic Committees in a sports context, but also in areas related to the working and management of these committees, such as finance management, which is a concern among developing countries and the newly-joined nations with Paralympic sports.

“I would personally like to thank Mr. Mohammed Al Hameli, president UAE Paralympic Committee and IPC Board member for hosting this gathering,” Rashed added. “I would also like to thank the APC Board for their support in the organisation of the event and the membership for their focused discussion throughout the past three days. Finally, our thanks is extended to the World Academy of Sport for their input in designing and running such an engaging successful programme.”