On September 25, 2020 the project “Social integration through parasport – Parainspired!” was completed by holding a final conference via an online application.
The conference was attended by more than 40 participants, mostly parasportsmen and other interested sports workers from both countries.
At the beginning of the conference, Živko Kolašinac addressed the audience on behalf of the JTS for the Serbia-Bosnia and Herzegovina Cross-Border Cooperation Programme. He pointed out that the funds for the realization of projects were allocated within the First Call for Proposals, within which 113 applications were submitted, and a total of 9 projects were contracted. Through the Parainspired project, sports equipment and props were procured to improve the quality of work with people with physical disabilities in local sports organizations, as well as specially adapted vehicles for people with disabilities.
“I congratulate the project team on their commitment to implement of this project, because during the implementation, they worked under difficult conditions due to the Covid -19 pandemic. Also, I like to encourage the partners not to end their cooperation with the completion of the project, but to continue the cooperation in the future and to continue improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, “Kolasinac emphasized.
Furthermore, the participants of the event were addressed by prof. Dr. Ekrem Čolakhodžić. He spoke about the basic principles of training people with disabilities. The presentation was held under the slogan “No unexpected champions”.
Prof. Dr. Ifet Mahmutović shared his practice experiences related to creating a champion. Also, he emphasized that the “Parainspired” project deserved great attention and respect, because parasport has improved in the region by the projects results.
Irhad Bušatlić, a sports assistant, addressed the audience at the end of the conference. He presented the prospects and main problems in this branch of sport. “Removing barriers and ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities should be a concern for all of us,” Bušatlić said.
The conclusion of the conference was a project’s contribution to the improvement of parasports of both countries. For the first time, a systematic and comprehensive research and analysis of the situation in the field of parasports in BiH was provided. As a result of the research, numerous trainings and the publication of manuals for parasport have been successfully conducted. The manual is intended for trainers and Para sportsmen – a guide for future projects and steps in the development of a social integration of people with disabilities.
