Following an extensive International Federation application and review process, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board has approved 22 sports for inclusion in the LA28 Paralympic Games. A record 33 Para sports submitted applications to the IPC to be considered for inclusion in the LA28 Paralympic Games.
World ParaVolley is delighted that sitting volleyball is once again among the 22 sports included in the LA28 sport programme, confirmed by the IPC on Monday, January 30 – a decision that will mean that sitting volleyball will have been on the sports program for 48 years.
However, it is with great disappointment that WPV must also announce that beach paravolley was not included in LA28, despite putting forth a very strong application for inclusion. In the coming days, WPV will be meeting with the International Paralympic Committee to discuss beach paravolley, to gain a full understanding of why the sport was not included, so we can move forward and develop an even stronger application for the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.
Other sports included on the LA2028 programme are para archery, para badminton, blind football, boccia, para canoe, para cycling, para equestrian, goalball, para judo, para powerlifting, para rowing, shooting para sport, para swimming, para table tennis, para taekwondo, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis. The IPC also granted LA28 the opportunity to explore the potential of including Para climbing or Para surfing, sports that have not been featured before at the Paralympic Games. Should LA28 put forward any sports for consideration, a final decision will be taken by the IPC Governing Board by the end of 2023.
“It is very disappointing that beach paravolley is not on the LA28 sports program as I truly believe it is a great additional option for our athletes with different disabilities than those we see in sitting volleyball. Commencing in 2023, we must give beach paravolley a life of its own by offering competitions in all four World ParaVolley Zones on a regular basis. It will survive and thrive outside the Paralympic Games due to its appeal and if we support it in the coming years, we can strive to lock it into the Paralympic Games program for Brisbane 2032. We must and will apply again, but meanwhile we must ensure we develop beach paravolley so that it has true worldwide reach and a regular competition program.”
– World ParaVolley President Barry Couzner OAM
The men’s sitting volleyball competition has been featured in each of the last 11 Paralympic Games since its debut in 1980 and will also be featured in Paris 2024 (12th) and LA28 (13th), while the women’s competition has been featured five consecutive times since 2004 and will make its sixth and seventh appearance in Paris and LA, respectively.
The discipline has grown since its introduction and has amassed 15,000 athletes in more than 80 countries. There was a total of 188 athletes that competed at Tokyo 2020, on eight women’s teams and eight men’s teams.
The Iranian men’s team has won eight medals, including seven gold medals and two silver medals – the most by any NPC.
The United States women’s team has been in a medal match in the Paralympics five times, which was every time the discipline was introduced. The team won gold in Rio 2016 for the first time and completed back-to-back gold medal feats at Tokyo 2020.
Updated on 31 January 2023
