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Ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games, IPC Mentoring Hubs are strengthening the systems that make global participation possible
With the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games approaching, the growth of the Paralympic Movement is gaining attention. Around 665 Paralympic athletes from approximately 50 nations are expected to compete across six sports, making it the largest Winter Paralympics yet by athlete participation. As anticipation builds around the Games, attention is also turning to the systems that make participation possible long before athletes reach the world stage.
At its core, the Paralympic Movement is a global effort to promote inclusion, equality and social integration for people with disabilities through elite sport. Since the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, the movement has grown steadily in reach and visibility, challenging perceptions of disability and expanding access to high-performance sport across regions and communities.
That growth has brought new complexity. Today, more than 170 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) are recognized worldwide, representing countries at very different stages of Para sport development. While participation continues to rise, many emerging NPCs still face barriers related to governance, classification systems, competition delivery and leadership development. Addressing those gaps is essential if the continued expansion of the Games is to translate into equitable opportunity.
To help meet that need, the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) Mentoring Hubs initiative, which launched in November of 2025, is strengthening Para sport systems through structured peer-to-peer learning. The program invites established NPCs to host athletes, coaches and officials from countries where Para sport is still developing. These Hubs provide hands-on training, practical experience and shared knowledge designed to strengthen national structures and create clearer pathways for athletes to compete at the highest level.
What Happens At the Mentoring Hubs
In the latter half of 2025, several Mentoring Hubs took place across Asia and the Americas. NPC Malaysia hosted representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar and Timor-Leste in Kuala Lumpur. There, participants engaged in workshops focused on competition management and national classification strategy.
In the Americas, a joint hub led by the Americas Paralympic Committee and NPC Brazil brought together representatives from Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala and Paraguay. Following a competition management course in Bogotá, Colombia, they went to NPC Brazil’s training center in São Paulo. There they observed and managed Para athletics, boccia and swimming competitions and took part in a workshop on national classification strategy.
Up next, NPC Morocco is set to host a Para athletics Mentoring Hub in Rabat in early 2026. Delegates from Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast and Senegal will engage on capacity building and sport-specific development activities.
This focus on capacity building aligns with broader efforts to extend access and opportunity across the Paralympic Movement. In 2024, IPC development programs benefited people in 133 countries and supported nearly 37,000 participants through sport training, mentoring and competition opportunities. These kinds of programs create avenues for athletes, coaches, officials and leaders who might otherwise lack access to structured development opportunities.
Why This Matters for the Paralympic Movement
Para sport depends not just on athletes, but on systems that support participation, training, fair competition and leadership. For many NPCs, especially those with smaller budgets or limited exposure to international events, building these systems takes time and support. By bringing emerging NPCs into structured, high-quality training and mentoring environments, the Mentoring Hubs initiative helps shorten that gap.
Kristina Molloy, the IPC’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, summed up the initiative’s purpose clearly:
“Through Sport for Mobility grant funding, our Mentoring Hubs initiative is giving leading NPCs the opportunity to accelerate the development of emerging NPCs; the result is a stronger Paralympic Movement for all.”
By investing in shared learning and regional collaboration, the Mentoring Hubs wants to lay a foundation for more competitive athletes, stronger national structures and broader inclusion in sport. As more Hubs take place, the ripple effects will hopefully be felt across continents — bringing more athletes closer to the podium and bringing the Paralympic movement closer to universal participation.
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