African Paralympic Committee (APC) has set its focus on the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles after achieving a historic milestone at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.
Africa secured 64 medals, surpassing the 63 won at the Tokyo 2020 Games, including 23 gold, 16 silver, and 25 bronze medals, with athletes from ten African nations reaching the podium.
North African countries, including Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Egypt, along with Nigeria from West Africa, dominated the continent’s top five performers.
Samson Deen, president of the APC, praised the athletes’ achievements but acknowledged the challenges that need to be addressed in preparation for the next Paralympics.
“African athletes have shown that if our governments and our people lift up support, they are going to perform much, much better,” he stated.
As the African Paralympic Committee (APC) looks ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Games, there is a clear focus on increasing athlete representation.
At Paris 2024, 312 para-athletes from 44 African nations competed, with nine countries sending only a single athlete.
The APC and National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) aim to boost these numbers for future competitions.
In the short term, the APC is working to secure a host for the 2027 African Para-Games, following a partnership with a European sports agency.
Samson Deen has emphasised the need for unity across the continent to strengthen and grow para-sports in Africa.
“The biggest challenge we have is disunity among the African people. When we are united, we have one message. If we are together, we can build a strong Africa in para-sports.”
The Gambia’s chef de mission in Paris, Hagie Drammeh, remarked that para-sports have the potential to breathe hope into the lives of people with disabilities.
“There are many people with disabilities who do not believe sport is the way out. We need to get into most of the sports so that people with impairments… will have life in sports.”