To strengthen the pool of qualified coaches in sitting volleyball, World ParaVolley (WPV) trained 60 technical officials in Africa and Europe. Eighteen of these, including seven women, received support through grant funding provided by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Held in Rwanda and Slovenia, level 1 and level 2 certification courses were delivered in each country as part of World ParaVolley’s Coaching Certification programme with support from the IPC’s Sport for Mobility Para sport development programme. Modules included a self-paced e-learning component as well as in-person practical sessions which supported the development of coaches and strengthened technical teams for the Para sport.
In Kigali, Rwanda, the training camp was hosted by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Rwanda at the NPC Rwanda Gymnasium. It welcomed 30 participants from 13 African nations: Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Togo. The IPC’s support enabled 10 coaches from eight nations to participate in the camp.
The Volleyball Federation of Slovenia hosted the Slovenian training camp in Ljubljana and also brought together 30 participants. Eight participants from Croatia, Finland, Poland and Slovenia received IPC support and successfully completed the certification programme with the aim to the grow the sport in their communities and countries.
Janeth Mlay, representing Tanzania and one of the female coaches to complete the certification said: “To be here for this sitting volleyball course is the first experience for me. Almost two months ago I started to do the online course. Here we get to practice in our sport community and I trained them for two days in order to gain experience. When I return to my country I will continue this mission.”
Mosaad Elaiuty, trainer and coach from Egypt said: “I am really proud of everything we have achieved over the past days. In many ways this was the best course I have been involved with. It was not only educational but also inspiring — a reminder of how sport can unite people of all abilities.”
The blended model (e-learning and intensive practical sessions) improved both theoretical understanding and on-court competence. Participants learned from qualified trainers while also benefitting from a deeper, better-connected pool of accredited coaches by the end of the course. Host-nation coaches in Rwanda and Slovenia also improved their knowledge and understanding during the training camps.
Launched in 2025, the IPC Sport for Mobility programme offers tailored and targeted initiatives that meet IPC member organisations where they are. Courtesy of a grant agreement with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, it offers 14 customised initiatives to advance Para sport globally, benefiting all IPC member organisations.
The Sport Technical Training initiative as part of Sport for Mobility aims to support International Federations grow the pool of coaches, classifiers and technical officials in their respective sports. In 2025, the IPC provided grants to 22 International Federations across 26 sports to deliver targeted training programmes.