Emerging NPCs benefit from mentoring initiative
The Mentoring Hubs initiative gives leading National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) the opportunity to share their expertise and host athletes and coaches from emerging NPCs to accelerate development 05 Jan 2026
Athletes and coaches from 13 emerging National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) spanning Asia and the Americas benefitted from world class coaching, mentoring and facilities in November and December courtesy of the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Mentoring Hubs initiative.
As part of the IPC’s commitment to strengthening Para sport globally through the Sport for Mobility programme, the Mentoring Hubs initiative gives leading NPCs the opportunity to share their expertise and host athletes and coaches from emerging NPCs to accelerate development. The aim is to serve as a vibrant training ground where knowledge is exchanged, skills are sharpened, and the next generation of Para athletes are empowered to reach their full potential.
Earlier this year IPC Sport for Mobility grants were awarded to the NPCs of Malaysia and Morocco respectively to host Mentoring Hubs, as well as the Americas Paralympic Committee and NPC Brazil to host a joint Mentoring Hub across two cities and countries.
Kristina Molloy, the IPC’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “Through Sport for Mobility grant funding, our Mentoring Hubs initiative is giving leading NPCs the opportunity to accelerate the development of emerging NPCs; the result is a stronger Paralympic Movement for all.
“We’ve heard from NPCs of their interest in more opportunities for collaboration and peer-to-peer learning, which is what led to the Mentoring Hubs initiative. With this grant the IPC is working to level the playing field, ensuring that talented athletes from every corner of the world have the opportunity to reach the starting line and shine on the world stage.”
NPC Malaysia hosted representatives from the NPCs of Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar and Timor Leste in Kuala Lumpur. Participants took part in a competition management course and a best practice workshop to develop a national classification strategy.
In the Americans, representatives from the NPCs of Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala and Paraguay participated in a joint Mentoring Hub involving the Americas Paralympic Committee and NPC Brazil.
Participants first attended a competition management course in Bogota, Colombia, before heading to NPC Brazil’s world class Paralympic Training Centre in Sao Paulo to observe and manage sport competitions in Para athletics, boccia and Para swimming. This allowed participants to put into practice what they had learnt weeks earlier. In Sao Paulo, participants also took part in a national classification strategy workshop.
Julio César Ávila Sarria, President of the Americas Paralympic Committee, said: “The IPC’s Mentoring Hub Initiative has been very well received across the Americas. Our region has a long tradition of South–South cooperation, built on the belief that strengthening all NPCs ultimately elevates the entire Paralympic Movement. Having the IPC reinforce these efforts through the Sport for Mobility programme until 2028 is truly fantastic for the region.”
In February 2026, a Para athletics Mentoring Hub will be held in Rabat, with NPC Morocco sharing their knowledge with athletes and coaches from the NPCs of Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.
