ODI Launched in Azerbaijan

The workshop was held at the new Paralympic Sports Complex about one hour drive outside of Baku with 10 key representatives from the NPC and partners. During the workshop the NPC discussed its capability, capacity and challenges which enabled them to develop a plan of action for the next three to four years. Their plan of action outlines how the NPC will create positive change in the organization over the coming years with assistance and investment from the IPC.

ODI is an opportunity for long-term strategic investment in those organizations and their key people responsible for supporting athletes from the grassroots to the elite level. For a long time, athlete development relied on the success of top athletes to inspire persons with a disability to get involved, with the hope that a portion would have what it takes to reach the podium. Relying on hope is not an effective strategy, therefore the IPC is committed to investing in more reliable strategies and systems and recognizes the critical role National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) have in this area.

The ODI gives the IPC an outstanding opportunity to identify the current capability and capacity of NPCs and to track their progress across a continuum. In particular, it will capture their readiness to work with Paralympic sports to train and qualify their athletes for the Paralympic Games and provide them with the tools to improve.