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In the early years of independence, Azerbaijanis did not have much information about the Paralympic movement. People with disabilities could not even imagine participation in sport and new achievements, while the idea of representing Azerbaijan at the Paralympic Games was considered absurd anyway.

Paralympics is a set of competitions for athletes with physical, mental and motor disabilities, including amputation, visual impairment and cerebral palsy. Azerbaijan first joined the Paralympics in 1996 in Atlanta and was represented by only two athletes. Development of this movement in the country has been increasing with the establishment of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC). In 2012, Paralympic athletes from Azerbaijan brought home 12 medals from London, four of which were gold. With the establishment of the Children’s Paralympic Committee of Azerbaijan in the same year, the younger generation with disabilities has developed an interest in competitive sports. This is the first such committee in the world, which aims to promote inclusive physical education and sport, to rehabilitate and develop children with disabilities and to increase opportunities for their integration into society.

Overall, the Paralympic movement in Azerbaijan has achieved impressive results in a short time. Last time, the Azerbaijani team pleased its fans and surprised the world with a successful performance at the 2020/21 Paralympic Games held in Tokyo. Our athletes won 19 medals (14 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze), and set four world records. And this is not a limit, we believe...

Secretary General of NPC, Kamal MAMMADOV, kindly agreed to answer questions about the developments in this area.

“After the success in Tokyo, Azerbaijan's paralympic movement has found itself in the world's spotlight. What was the secret of this success?”

“To answer your question, we must remember how our journey started in the first place. It all began 26 years ago. The Paralympic movement was born in Azerbaijan in 1996. From the very first day, we felt the support of the national leader Heydar Aliyev and his successor, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. Our achievements are a clear evidence of this support. Thanks to our experience, we will continue our work in the future. We have a strong team and a big family of athletes and coaches. There are hundreds of athletes in various departments of the committee. We continue works to expand these ranks. In parallel, we take steps to open and develop new sections. We have a plan to involve soldiers and officers injured in the Great Patriotic War. We work closely with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. We highly appreciate this support. Azerbaijan is probably the only country in the world where the Paralympic movement is cherished at state level.”

“The involvement of disabled veterans of the 44-day Garabagh War in the Paralympic movement is the start of a big project. What do you do to involve our veterans in this movement as well?”

“Those who have suffered for the sake of defending our homeland had previously represented Azerbaijan in various sports under the umbrella of the National Paralympic Committee. After the Patriotic War, we set up a commission to work with the Garabagh veterans to involve them in sport. We have already had several meetings with them. We organise meetings of our veterans with renowned athletes, including Olympic and Paralympic champions. They encourage our veterans to join the Paralympic movement, underlining the important role that the movement can play in their lives. We have veterans who are already the members of the movement in respective sports. I am sure they will have their say in the upcoming prestigious competitions, repeating the triumph in the Second Garabagh War and in sports raising high the banner of Azerbaijan in the international arena.”

“Some serious work has been done over several years to get our children involved in the Paralympic movement. What is the current status of their participation in competitions?”

“Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the Children's Paralympic Movement. We have so far been able to get hundreds of children and young people with disabilities involved in the movement. Holding the Children's Paralympic Games in Azerbaijan has already become a tradition. Other countries are also developing this movement, using our experience. We even plan to hold the World Children Paralympic Games in the future. We are happy that our movement has been duly acknowledged in the society, with our children being integrated into it smoothly. By the way, one of the members of the Children's Paralympic Movement, Vali Israfilov, won a gold medal last year in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, while Dana Shandybina was a participant of the Games. I am sure we will see new junior faces as part of the national team that will compete at the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris.”

“The Paralympic movement covers several types of sports. Which of them is the most developed in Azerbaijan?”

“We try to develop all types of sports at a proper level. There are many of them, but the most developed ones are the main summer sports. Judo, athletics, swimming, powerlifting, taekwondo and shooting are the most popular among people with physical disabilities. They account for most of our achievements. But we have success in other sports too. In 2018, we established a winter sports team as well. This year, for the first time, our athletes got qualified for participating in the Winter Paralympic Games. I am sure that we will be successful in other sports as well soon.”

“The Tokyo Paralympic Games recorded a historic achievement of 19 medals for Azerbaijan. What do we need to do to follow up on the success achieved in Tokyo?”

“We are only two years away from the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris. We need to get ready as quickly as possible; we need to set up a new team. Certainly, athletes from the current national team will also be represented, because we have a very young team. We need to continue the selection while training new athletes. One of the main goals is to get our disabled veterans involved in the Paralympic movement. We have many young Paralympians, and they can do any kind of sport. We will continue our selection work and try to represent Azerbaijan in Paris with a strong team.”

“What are the plans of the National Paralympic Committee for the coming years?”

“Currently, we continue preparations for the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games to be held in Konya, Turkey, in August 2022. In parallel, the committee will continue its work in other areas. We are seriously preparing for the World Parajudo Championship slated for November 2022. I believe that our judokas will impress us with victories in this competition.

“But our main goal is to prepare for the 17th Summer Paralympics in Paris in 2024. We should try to increase the number of athletes and sports and improve the results achieved at the last Games. I am sure that the Paralympic movement will develop even further in the future. Since the inception of our committee, we have advanced towards our goals, gathering thousands of people with disabilities around us. Today we are already recognised not only as a sport organisation, but also as a big Paralympic family. Azerbaijani Paralympians are well known all over the world. Our athletes are grateful to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for all these accomplishments. I am sure that our Paralympians, always feeling the support of the head of state and the whole nation, will continue to make us happy with their achievements.”