Paralympic Sports There are currently 29 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the IPC; 23 summer and 6 winter sports. paralympic sports Paralympic sports are organised competitive sporting activities which are part of the Paralympic Games sport programme and governed by International Sport Federations or International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSD). Some sports, such as Para archery and wheelchair basketball, were developed out of rehabilitation programmes for World War II veterans. Paralympic sports comprise summer and winter sports contested at the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games. The number of sports, disciplines and medal events may change from one Paralympic Games edition to another. There are currently 29 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the IPC; 23 summer and six winter sports. Para climbing is the most recent addition to the Paralympic Games programme. The IPC approved a proposal by the LA28 Organising Committee to include the sport. The newest winter sport is Para snowboard, which was first introduced at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. paralympic sports Recognised sports Para Arm Wrestling Para Flying Disc Wheelchair Handball Para Pentathlon Powerchair Football Para equestrian Para powerlifting Shooting Para sport Sitting volleyball Para table tennis Wheelchair basketball Wheelchair rugby Wheelchair tennis Para alpine skiing Para cross-country skiing Para ice hockey

Wheelchair curling Organised sport for persons with physical disabilities developed out of rehabilitation programmes at Stoke Mandeville, UK, by Sir Ludwig Guttman. Following World War II, in response to the needs of large numbers of injured ex-service members and civilians, sport was introduced as a key part of rehabilitation. Sport for rehabilitation grew into recreational sport and then into competitive sport. In 1948, the Stoke Mandeville Games were organised for the first time as a sports competition for wheelchair athletes. They featured 16 individuals (14 men and two women) competing in Para archery. This was the origin of what evolved into the modern Paralympic Games, which today attracts over 4,400 athletes with physical, vision and intellectual impairments. INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS International Sport Federations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled serve as the governing bodies for Paralympic sports and administer the sport at a world level. Their responsibilities include technical jurisdiction and guidance over the competition and training venues of their respective sports during the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games. An International Sport Federation must be recognised by the IPC as the sole representative of a Paralympic sport. Currently, the IPC recognises 18 international federations governing 20 Para sports. The IPC is responsible for the governance of five sports (Para athletics, Para ice hockey, Para powerlifting, Para swimming and shooting Para sport). The IPC is also committed to promoting the development of sport opportunities and recognises some international sport federations that are not eligible to be IPC members. These federations contribute to the development of sport opportunities for athletes associated with the Paralympic Movement. What are you looking forward to the most at Milano Cortina 2026? We asked athletes what they are looking forward to at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games and why you should join the spectacle Meet Italy's Para ice hockey trio working to put on a home Games With one year to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Italian Para ice hockey players Andrea Macri, Alessandro Andreoni and Gabriele Lanza shared how excited they are to compete in front of a home crowd Milano Cortina 2026 set to be "most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games" IPC President is expecting world class sport from an event which is already transforming the host nation. Milano Cortina 2026: Q&A with IPC President “The sport is going to be spectacular, the scenario and the setting will be incredible, and I’m also excited about the legacy” Six Paralympians nominated for 2025 Laureus Sport Awards Catherine Debrunner, Teresa Perales Fernandez, Yuyan Jiang, Tokito Oda, Matt Stutzman, and Qu Zimo have been shortlisted for the prestigious World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award Haitao Wang shares legacy of Beijing 2022 and hopes for Milano Cortina 2026 With one year to go until wheelchair curling competitions get underway at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, China’s Haitao Wang shared what it felt like to win gold at Beijing 2022 and his goal of winning his third Paralympic gold medal For LA28 Paralympic Games there are 23 sports and for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games there are six sports. There are six sports in the Paralympic Winter Games: Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling. The Paralympic sports of boccia and goalball do not have an Olympic equivalent. Para athletics is the largest sport within the Paralympic Movement in terms of the number of competing athletes, medal events and countries. Para badminton and Para taekwondo made their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games and are the two newest sports to have been showcased at a Paralympic Games. For LA28, Para climbing will make its Paralympic debut. Para archery, Para athletics, Para dartchery, Para snooker, Para swimming, Para table tennis, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair fencing are the oldest Paralympic sport. These eight sports made up the sports programme of Rome 1960, the first modern Paralympic Games.