On April 8th, 2025, Sarajevo hosted the kickoff meeting for the Erasmus + ParaSwInclusion project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through para swimming. The meeting marked the beginning of the project, which seeks to create a more inclusive and accessible para sport environment.
The project focuses on educating key stakeholders—para swimmers, coaches, judges, and educators—in order to develop a sustainable system that ensures greater participation of people with disabilities in para sport. By providing the necessary resources and expertise, ParaSwInclusion aims to enhance opportunities for athletes with disabilities to engage in para swimming and other para sports across the region.
One of the central components of the project is the organization of the Sarajevo Open, a regional para swimming competition that will bring together athletes from various countries in the Western Balkans. Alongside this, the project will also develop an innovative e-platform that will serve as a key tool for better access to data and resources, allowing for improved coordination and development in the para sport sector. This platform is being developed through an analysis of the current state of para swimming infrastructure and education in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. This will serve as the foundation for further developing the necessary infrastructure and training programs to ensure that athletes with disabilities have the support they need to succeed.
A special focus is placed on professional development through educational programs aimed at teachers, coaches, and judges from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. These programs will be held in Serbia and Croatia, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration across the region.
At the heart of the ParaSwInclusion project is a vision of breaking down prejudices and building a society that values inclusion, equal opportunities, and awareness of the importance of para sports. By working together, the project seeks to strengthen the recognition of para swimming as a key element in the social integration of persons with disabilities.
As the project moves forward, the collaboration between different countries and stakeholders will be pivotal in creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for para sports in the Western Balkans. The kickoff meeting in Sarajevo was just the beginning of what promises to be a transformative journey for para sports across the region.
