Ottobock Equipment Loaner Programme

IPC Ice Sledge Hockey has a two-year partnership with Worldwide Paralympic Partner Ottobock to develop the sport of ice sledge hockey through the Equipment Loaner Programme.

In the past, IPC Ice Sledge Hockey has faced challenges in helping the sport develop, especially in emerging countries where the sport is still in the early phases and needs more participation from both youth and adults.

This programme hopes to fix this problem by helping emerging nations who are at the grassroots level in the sport, providing them with sledges for either six-month or one-year terms.

In total, Ottobock has provided IPC Ice Sledge Hockey with 30 sledges and sticks to distribute to National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) or organisations to build the future of the sport in their respective countries and build those organisations’ capacities to offer the sport.

The programme also aims to increase the number of athletes and rehabilitation centres practicing the sport, as well as to increase the number of people with an impairment who regularly practice the sport.

IPC Ice Sledge Hockey selects the NPCs or organisations who apply for participation in the programme and co-ordinates the distribution of equipment, which is supplied and maintained by Ottobock.

The initiative will also influence emerging ice sledge hockey countries to host public events to create further awareness for the sport.