Parasports: integrate to include – 07/18/2023 – Opinion

Brazil, once again, was a protagonist in the World Paralympic Athletics Championships in Paris, second only to China. The tests began on July 8 and ended on Monday (17).
Despite having repeated the second overall position of the last World Cup, it was not long before the Brazilian team reached first place. This time, China ended the competition with two more gold medals than Brazil, but the Brazilian team surpassed the Asian country in the total number of medals won (47 to 45).

To get an idea of ​​the evolution of our Paralympic athletics in recent years, at the 2019 World Cup in Dubai, China won 11 more gold medals than Brazil (20 more in total). For those who follow parasports in Brazil, the achievement is not surprising. Standing out on the international scene as a Paralympic power for almost two decades, Brazil has been among the first placed in the general table of medals at the Paralympic Games and international competitions, demonstrating remarkable progress.

However, there are still significant challenges regarding the development and support of parasports. Despite the broad legislative framework that highlights the State’s duty to promote and ensure the participation of people with disabilities in sports and leisure activities, the implementation of policies aimed at guaranteeing this right, historically, has not aroused the interest of public entities.
In addition, it is necessary to overcome the misunderstanding surrounding the positive impact that parasports practice generates on people with disabilities, both in the physical and mental aspects and in social resilience.

To overcome the obstacles that delay the evolution of Brazilian parasports, the Ministry of Sport works to democratize access to these practices, with the objective of expanding and massifying physical activity among people with disabilities. The purpose of public policies is to allow the segment to become increasingly sustainable, guaranteeing, definitively, the consolidation of the right to full citizenship.

The commitment, spearheaded by the Ministry of Sport, must involve a transversal system, with the participation of different areas and instances of public administration and civil society, to promote joint actions. Integration is the factor that will allow the strengthening of actions to combat physical inactivity and also the social inclusion of people with disabilities.

In order to strengthen this articulation, the National Secretariat for Parasports of the Ministry of Sport is dialoguing with several private entities and public bodies, national and international. Among the priority partners are the Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) and the Brazilian Committee of Paralympic Clubs (CBCP), entities that promote parasports and benefit from public funds from the Caixa Lotteries.

As Brazil consolidates itself as a Paralympic power, it is essential that efforts evolve towards the democratization of access for people with disabilities to sport, for continuous investments in sports training and for the improvement of public and private sports management, in order to to consolidate the National Sports System, as provided for in the General Sports Law. These are essential factors to maintain and strengthen this successful trajectory of national parasports.

The next step to consolidate parasports in Brazil is to strengthen support for parasports and segments of people with disabilities that are not included in the Paralympic Games, in addition to prioritizing the increase in the participation of women in parasports.

By making this institutional cut, the ministry is recognizing the richness and diversity of talents and skills present in the community of athletes with disabilities, in addition to encouraging modalities that have the potential to provide meaningful and empowering sports experiences.

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