Para Sport Day 2023 in Düsseldorf

Founder and Vice President of PSF, Dr. Olesya Zaglada, visited with her daughter the first Para Sport Day for children in second to fifth grade, which took place on Sunday, November 12, at the German Table Tennis Center.

The Sports Office, in cooperation with the State Chancellery and the Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association of North Rhine-Westphalia (BRSNW), hosted the Para Sport Day for the first time. With the Para Sport Day, the organizers want to get children with disabilities interested in active sports in a club, convey the fun of sports and exercise, and, in the medium term, discover sports talents for Paralympic sports promotion. The first Para Sport Day is also a pilot for other Para Sport events for children in other municipalities.

Head of Sports Department Britta Zur opened the Para Sport Day together with Dirk Schimmelpfennig, Head of Competitive Sports in the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Anja Surmann, Deputy Chairwoman of the Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association NRW, and welcomed the participating children and their families: “It is very important to the city of Düsseldorf that all children in Düsseldorf have good opportunities to do sport and develop healthily. Of course, this is especially applicable for children with disabilities. With the Para Sport Day, we are focusing on promoting Paralympic sports for children.”

The Sports Office, in cooperation with the State Chancellery and the Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association of North Rhine-Westphalia, hosted the event for the first time. With the Para Sport Day, the organizers want to get children with disabilities interested in active sports in a club, convey the fun of sports and exercise, and, in the medium term, discover sports talents for Paralympic sports promotion. The first Para Sport Day is also a pilot for further Para Sport events for children in other municipalities.

At the beginning of next year, interested children will have the opportunity to take part in a Para Sport program for three months, led by Paralympic athlete Maria Tietze. The children are generally encouraged in their motor skills with the aim of introducing them to a specific sport.

Head of Sports Britta Zur opened the Para Sport Day together with Dirk Schimmelpfennig, Head of Competitive Sports in the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Anja Surmann, Deputy Chairwoman of the Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association NRW, and welcomed the participating children and their families: “It is very important to the city of Düsseldorf that all children in Düsseldorf have good opportunities to do sport and develop healthily. Of course, this is especially true for children with disabilities. With the Para Sport Day, we are focusing on promoting Paralympic sports for children.”

Dirk Schimmelpfennig, Head of the Competitive Sports Department in the State Chancellery, explains the state’s objective: “The Para Sport Day is intended to be a first step towards discovering and developing the motor skills of children with physical disabilities. The Para Sport Day is a premiere and an important building block in establishing North Rhine-Westphalia as a Paralympic center in Germany.”

“As an association, it is our goal to get more children and young people with disabilities interested in sport and to find a suitable sports program for them in a club,” emphasizes Anja Surmann, deputy chairwoman of the BRSNW. “Unfortunately, access to sport, beyond school sports, has so far been little systematic and is too often characterized by chance. We want to change this with the Para Sport Day and are taking a new, active approach by targeting parents and children. The best way to create enthusiasm is by experiencing and trying things out, and this is exactly what Para Sport Day offers. Here, we bring children with disabilities and parents into lasting contact with sports, sports clubs, and coaches. We are looking forward to an inspiring and particularly sporty day in Düsseldorf,” she adds.

PSF was very privileged to join this special day full of joy and wishes Düsseldorf the successful implementation of this initiative.