ZAGREB, 13 April (Hina) – A press conference was held in Zagreb on Friday to present the project Strengthening the Parasport System in Croatia, funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) under the Effective Human Resources programme.
The speakers included President of the Croatian Paralympic Committee Ratko Kovačić, adviser to the Minister of Tourism and Sport Igor Radić, and Assistant Director of the Croatian Employment Service Ante Džapo.
The three-year project was launched on 19 November 2024 with the signing of a grant agreement for projects funded by the ESF+ for the 2021–2027 programming period, involving the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Croatian Employment Service and the Croatian Paralympic Committee.
The project is worth €4 million, with the general aim of increasing the social inclusion of persons with disabilities over three years through participation in parasport activities.
"This is an extremely important project for the overall development of the parasport system in Croatia. Currently, 51 professional parasport staff are involved, including 43 coaches and eight instructors, across 14 cities and 12 parasports. We now have 325 participants, of whom 228 are male and 97 female athletes. We are pleased with the level of participation in training and other activities and believe the numbers will continue to grow," Kovačić said.
"We have placed special emphasis on education within the project, organising workshops for our coaches to help them improve and broaden their knowledge of sports for persons with disabilities," he added, announcing three parasport festivals, the first of which will take place in Zagreb on 14 June.
Radić noted that the project forms part of a broader social commitment by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport to ensure equal access to sport for everyone.
"The project aims to provide people with disabilities and children with developmental difficulties with opportunities to engage in sport, through additional sessions and qualified coaches, and to better integrate the parasport system into the local community," Radić said, adding that the Ministry has long supported a variety of initiatives that promote inclusion and accessibility in sport.
"We want to ensure the full integration of persons with disabilities into the sporting system. Sport must not be the privilege of a select few – it should be available to all," Radić emphasised.
Džapo pointed out that the European Social Fund finances projects such as this one, as well as initiatives supporting the inclusion of all vulnerable groups in society through training, workshops, and both formal and informal education.
"At present, the Croatian Employment Service is running around 600 projects worth a total of €143 million, including this one," Džapo said, adding that the agency also serves as a control mechanism for the appropriate use of the allocated funds.
