Promoting Sports for Individuals with Disabilities in Odesa
A significant focus of Odesa's city government is to enhance physical activity and sports rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities, as well as improve the quality of life for veterans through participation in adaptive sports.
As part of the “Development of Physical Culture and Sports in Odesa for 2024 – 2027” program, various sports events are organized for individuals with disabilities and veterans with special merits.
One such event was the “Black Sea Cup” for wheelchair basketball, co-organized with the Odesa City Basketball Federation. Competing in the tournament were the “Odesa-Basket” team and two teams from Kyiv - “Kyiv Lions” and “Titans”.
Individuals with disabilities also have the opportunity to obtain memberships for sports facilities, including gyms and swimming pools. This year, the Department of Physical Culture and Sports purchased 156 swimming pool memberships at the “Sports Academy” complex and 100 memberships for the “ZAL” fitness club network.
In 2024, these memberships were provided to individuals with disabilities, including war veterans, participants of qualifying competitions, and Invictus Games competitors. A total of 78 individuals with disabilities received swimming pool memberships, including 30 veterans, while 30 individuals with disabilities, including 16 veterans, received fitness club memberships.
Next year, the budget for access to sports facilities for individuals with disabilities is planned to increase.
