Paris 2024: More than 90 IPC-supported delegations competing

Over 150 athletes from 91 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), plus coaches and technical officials, have benefited from support from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.  

In parallel with this athlete support, IPC programmes target development of trained and experienced coaches and technical officials, leaders and coaches to uplift the system and create sustained opportunities for Para sport. 

Of the 155 athletes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games to have benefited from IPC Programmes, over 50 percent are women. At Paris 2024 there are a record 1,983 women competing, and 35 NPCs boast a record number of female athletes. 

Beneficiaries include: 

• Ugandan swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe, who was supported to attend international competitions in 2019, leading to her classification and qualification for Tokyo 2020. She aims to use her platform to champion athletes’ rights globally and is now running for election to the IPC’s Athletes Council 

• Acting General Secretary NPC Yemen Amal Haza'a Ali Munassar, a particpant of organisational development workshops, has established Yemen’s first women’s wheelchair basketball team and is a role model for girls and women with and without disabilities in the country. 

This IPC support is delivered through development programmes directly to athletes and IPC members (such as National Paralympic Committees and International Federations). These efforts have focused on supporting Para athletes on the athlete pathway, equipping leaders to serve Para athletes and develop the next generation of changemakers, while also improving access and participation of persons with disability in sport.  

Kristina Molloy, the IPC’s Chief Membership and Impact Officer, said: “Since the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the IPC has invested record sums each year to increase and diversify the talent pool across the Paralympic Movement, also with a focus on increasing female representation. 

“The result at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is a record number of competing delegations, three NPCs competing for the first time, and more women lining up than ever before.   

“Although there are 155 Paralympic athletes at Paris 2024 who have benefitted from IPC Programmes, our activities are built on the principle that not everyone will become a Paralympian. Every person with a disability should have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport and of being active.  

“The IPC believes engagement in Para sport can empower the 1.3 billion persons with disabilities across the world, improve their health and well-being, and create role models, community leaders and changemakers.  

“Access to Para sport initiates a tidal wave of change, it is our launchpad for societal change to make for an inclusive world.” 

Since 2017, the IPC’s development work which is present in over 160 countries has advanced over 3,700 Para athletes on the athlete pathway and supported over 10,000 leaders to deliver Para sport opportunities.  

More than 1.6 million people have participated in IPC programmes, including over 400,000 children. These programmes not only aim to create more opportunity for persons with disabilities to get active and participate in sport, but also advance access and challenge stigma associated with disability.