Invest for children and Special Olympics have organised the 1st National Paddle Tennis Championship for athletes with intellectual disabilities
- The competition was attended by almost 50 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, from five autonomous communities
- In addition to the competition, the weekend was crowned with a Welcoming Reception and a Closure Ceremony
This weekend Castellón hosted the 1st National Special Olympics Padel Tennis Championships organised by Invest for Children and Special Olympics Spain, with the collaboration of the Fundación Bancaria La Caixa, the Castellón Provincial Council and UBE.
Almost 50 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities from Aragón, Castilla y León, Madrid, the Region of Murcia and the entities representing the host community, UNITTS CD, APDA and SinDown Castellón, put the knowledge acquired in the Paddle Schools to the test. All the athletes who competed in this weekend of challenges, overcoming challenges and intense emotions, are training on a weekly basis in the Padel Schools that Special Olympics Spain and Invest for children launched in 2019. The programme currently has 8 schools in 5 autonomous communities that give more than 100 athletes the chance to play
Almost 50 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities from Aragón, Castilla y León, Madrid, the Region of Murcia and the entities representing the host community, UNITTS CD, APDA and SinDown Castellón, put the knowledge acquired in the Paddle Schools to the test. All the athletes who competed in this weekend of challenges, overcoming challenges and intense emotions, are training on a weekly basis in the Padel Schools that Special Olympics Spain and Invest for children launched in 2019. The programme currently has 8 schools in 5 autonomous communities that give more than 100 athletes the chance to play paddle.
Four of the 24 participating pairs were unified. The unified modality stands out because the pairs are formed by a person with intellectual disability and another one with no disability. With this modality, the aim is to promote the inclusion of the sportsperson with intellectual disabilities in society.
The championship, beyond the competition, had a welcoming reception on Friday afternoon and a closure ceremony on Sunday at noon in which all participants were presented with medals.
Figures:
Participants: 48 athletes, 12 coaches
Athletes: 48 athletes (44 disabled and 4 non-disabled)
Autonomous Communities: 5 (Aragón, Castilla y León, Madrid, Región de Murcia, Comunidad Valenciana)
You can watch a video of this event in Down TV by clicking here.
