Adapted sport in the Azores has registered an "exponential" growth in the number of athletes and centres, according to the Regional Director for Sport.
 
António Gomes welcomed a delegation from the Almada/Seixal Cerebral Palsy Association in Ponta Delgada last Monday. On the occasion, he stated that adapted sport in the Region had three centres and 28 athletes in 2001-2002 and there are now, in n 2018-2019, 92 centres and 894 athletes.
 
According to the Regional Director for Sport, a comprehensive survey was conducted on the development of adapted physical and sports activity in the Region from 2001 onwards. In this context, “an action plan” was drawn up for the development and regulation of support for regular sports practice as well as for regional and national participation in events.
 
With this plan, it was possible to ensure “equal opportunities and a progressive convergence" to models in other sports areas, stated the government official.
 
Currently, the support for the development of regional adapted sport falls under the Legal Support Scheme for Sports Associations and its application is regulated by Ordinance no.25/2019 of March 29, comprising two types of sports activity and 18 categories.
 
The evolution of this plan has resulted not only in an exponential increase in the quantity, frequency and diversity of this sports practice, but also in the quality as evidenced by the national and international titles won by our athletes. This high quality culminates in the existence of Azorean athletes included in the National High-Performance Status as well as in the Paralympic Project, stated António Gomes.
 
The delegation of from the Almada/Seixal Cerebral Palsy Association, in collaboration with the S. Miguel Cerebral Palsy Association, is promoting the training and dissemination of the “Wheelchair Slalom” activity under the "Meaningful Sport" project with the collaboration of the Regional Directorate for Sport.