As part of a project funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will train 200 coaches in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi together with Special Olympics Germany (SOD) and Special Olympics Africa.
The Special Olympics World Games 2023 in Berlin produced impressive sporting achievements by athletes with intellectual disabilities and highlighted the potential that sport has for the integration of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities—both nationally and internationally. This positive development is continuing.
On the initiative of the DOSB, which supported the Special Olympics team from Uganda before and during the Games in a pilot project last year, the DOSB, Special Olympics Germany and Special Olympics Africa have joined forces to continue the legacy of the Games. The “Inclusion Through Sports” project will train over 200 coaches in Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda by the end of the year, and is made possible through funding from the German Federal Foreign Office. Using the Special Olympics Unified Sports® approach, these coaches will teach sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer and floorball to people with and without disabilities in multiple locations.
Burundi: Bujumbura
Kenya: Kilifi, Makueni, Nairobi and Siaya
Tanzania: Arusha, Dodoma, Kigamboni and Morogoro
Uganda: Busia, Gulu, Kampala and Ntungamo
Michaela Röhrbein, Executive Board Member for Sport Development at the DOSB says, "I am delighted that this project will enable us to carry the positive legacy of the Games in Berlin forward internationally and thus provide an impetus for a more inclusive society beyond Germany's borders."
Sven Albrecht, Managing Director of Special Olympics Germany: “The coach training in Africa is an important step towards further promoting inclusive sport and giving people with intellectual and multiple disabilities worldwide the opportunity to develop their sporting abilities and lead a self-determined life. The teaching of sports and the Unified Sports approach not only promotes participation, but also strengthens the understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities in society.”
“Coaches teach the skills, attitudes, values and spirit that define a true athlete. They are role models and character-builders both on and off the field of play. Special Olympics coaches go even further—they support athletes with intellectual disabilities to discover their own strengths and abilities. They encourage them and challenge them to build upon those strengths and improve every day. Ultimately, the coaches support athletes to serve as ambassadors of change in their local communities.”
The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, as part of the International Sports Promotion of Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy, and Special Olympics International.
