Paralympic Sport

Para sport refers to any sport in which athletes with disabilities participate, and its origins stretch back over a century. However, it wasn’t until after World War II that Para sport gained widespread recognition and development. Its initial aim was to support the rehabilitation of the large number of war veterans and civilians who had sustained injuries during the war.

In 1944, responding to a request from the British government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann established a spinal injuries centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. Over time, sport in the context of rehabilitation evolved from recreational activity to competitive competition.

On 29 July 1948, coinciding with the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organised the Stoke Mandeville Games, the first competition for wheelchair athletes. This landmark event involved 16 injured servicemen and women competing in archery and is now considered a foundational moment in Paralympic history.

By 1952, Dutch ex-servicemen joined the competition, leading to the formation of the International Stoke Mandeville Games. These Games would eventually become the Paralympic Games, officially launched in Rome, Italy in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries. The Games have since been held every four years. In 1976, the first Winter Paralympic Games were held in Sweden, also adopting the four-year cycle.

Team Qatar made history at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, winning two silver medals. Abdulrahman Abdulqader and Sara Masoud earned silver in the F34 and F33 Para athletics shot put events, respectively. Sara’s medal marked Qatar’s first-ever Paralympic medal by a female athlete. Abdulrahman continued his success by winning a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020.

Further cementing its commitment to inclusion and sport, Doha proudly hosted the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships, the largest Para sport event ever held in the Middle East.