African countries join athletics and powerlifting training camp and workshop

"It was a great and very emotional day. Athletes who participated at the workshop were so happy to learn about the Paralympic Movement"

Para athletics and Para powerlifting athletes, coaches and technical officials from 14 African countries gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for a three-day workshop and training camp from 25 to 27 September.

The participants also engaged in a Proud Paralympian (PP) workshop with Paralympians and PP leaders George Wyndham from Sierra Leone and Jean Baptiste Murema from Rwanda.

The Sport Technical Course and training camp were aimed at strengthening the skills and knowledge of all participants and prepare them for future participation in national and international events.

The PP workshop was the first opportunity for many to know about the history of the Paralympic Movement and the sports they practice. Participants also discussed topics such as Ethics & Human rights and Working with the media.

The two PP leaders used the Proud Paralympian toolkit to create a fun and engaging environment.

“It was a great and very emotional day [at the PP workshop]. Athletes who participated at the workshop were so happy to [learn about the movement] that they showed the interest to have workshops also held in their countries in the future,” Wyndham said.

A total of 49 international and 32 local participants were involved in the courses.

The countries taking part in the activities in Ethiopia were Burundi, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Democratic Republic Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda.