Rabat, Morocco to Host First African Para Games in 2020

Author: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
Published: 2019/04/02 - Updated: 2026/05/29
Publication Type: Announcement

Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications

Synopsis: This report covers the confirmation that Rabat, the capital of Morocco, will host the inaugural African Para Games in January 2020, following a protocol agreement signed in the presence of International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons. Authored by the International Paralympic Committee, the source carries authority as the official governing body for the Paralympic Movement, and the details here are useful for athletes, sports organizations, and members of the disability community tracking the growth of Para sport across the African continent. The piece explains how most events will serve as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, giving African Para athletes a recognized pathway to international competition.

At a Glance

• 1 - Around 1,200 athletes are expected to compete across Africa's seven most-practiced Para sports, including athletics, blind football, goalball, powerlifting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
• 2 - The African Paralympic Committee was recognised in October 2018 by African Ministers of Sport as the legitimate umbrella body for sports for persons with a disability across the continent.
• 3 - Athlete classification evaluation, anti-doping educational courses and a Proud Paralympian workshop are scheduled in the lead-up to and during the Games.

Topic Definition: African Para Games

The African Para Games is a continental multi-sport competition for athletes with disabilities, organized under the African Paralympic Committee and held every four years in the lead-up to the Paralympic Games. The event brings together Para athletes from across Africa to compete in a range of sanctioned disciplines, and it functions as an official qualification opportunity for the Paralympic Games, helping to raise the profile and structure of disability sport throughout the continent.

Introduction

History will be made in Morocco in 2020 with confirmation that the country's capital, Rabat, is to host the first African Para Games next January. The announcement comes after a protocol agreement was signed in the presence of International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons on Monday 2 April.

Main Content

Around 1,200 athletes are expected to attend the continent's main Para sport competition and compete across Africa's seven most-practiced Para sports:

• athletics
• blind football
• goalball
• powerlifting
• sitting volleyball
• wheelchair basketball

Most of the events will act as qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, set to be held between 25 August and 6 September.

Parsons said:

"This is an historic moment for the Paralympic Movement. I am very glad and thankful to the Moroccan authorities that we will have the opportunity to organise this Para Games in Africa for the first time. African Para athletes will have a good chance to qualify for Tokyo 2020 and showcase their abilities to the wider audience."

African Paralympic Committee President Leonel da Rocha Pinto added:

"It is another important step for the recognition of sports for people with disabilities in the African continent. A dream becomes a reality. In October last year during a meeting of African Ministers of Sports, Education and Youth organised by the African Union in Algiers, the African Paralympic Committee was recognised as the legitimate umbrella body for all matters related to Sports for Persons with a Disability. The meeting also endorsed the African Para Games as an official qualification multi-sport event for African Para athletes every four years in the lead up to the Paralympic Games. I am very grateful that the Royal Kingdom of Morocco and the Moroccan Sports Minister will give our African athletes the platform to showcase their excellence."

Hamid Al Aouni, President of NPC Morocco, said:

"I am very glad and honoured that my home city of Rabat will host the first edition of the African Para Games. We do have fantastic sports facilities here in Rabat; well-prepared and experienced experts that will organise the Games; the government and partners who will support; and society that love all type of sports."

Athlete classification evaluation, anti-doping educational courses and a Proud Paralympian workshop will be held in the lead-up to and during the African Para Games.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and published on 2019/04/02, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.