The Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korean Paralympic Committee (KPC) and the Korean BDH Foundation in a historic development.
This MOU marks a significant step in enhancing cooperation for the regional development of para sports and the mutual benefit of all signatories.
Within the framework of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, the MOU outlines the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved and promotes joint efforts in development, support, consultation, and implementation. The goal is to establish a solid framework of cooperation and fundamental relationships among the organizations.
Korean partners have committed to exchanging experiences, deepening cooperation
The Korean Paralympic Committee and the BDH Foundation have committed to exchanging experiences and deepening cooperation to bolster the Paralympic Movement in the Americas and the Republic of Korea.
This will involve official meetings, visits, participation in events, and the exchange of knowledge and experience in developing high-performance sports for athletes from the Americas, Caribbean, and Korea, including technical experts such as classifiers.
Furthermore, the agreement includes the transfer of knowledge and experience in sports policymaking, sports physical education, sports infrastructure, and sports marketing, as well as the training of national teams and youth teams.
Under this partnership, the Korean Paralympic Committee and BDH will have access to winter and summer training centers in the Americas, promoting the professional exchange of skills and knowledge and advancing academic and scientific pursuits in various sporting fields.
In return, the Americas Paralympic Committee will have access to specific winter and summer training spaces in Korea, including the KPC Incheon Training Center. This collaboration will enable joint training exercises in Korea, with the participation of Korean coaches and technical officials to support workshops for coaches and athletes.
Additionally, the Americas Paralympic Committee will benefit from sports equipment and development workshops or seminars aimed at developing countries in the Americas and the Caribbean.
MOU is a significant move
Americas Paralympic Committee director, Christopher Samuda, an advocate for this MOU, expressed its significance, stating, “The MOU is a significant move as we at the Americas Paralympic Committee pursue independence from the International Paralympic Committee and our foreign policy of establishing and deepening bilateral and multilateral relationships extra-regionally for the benefit of our athletes, coaches, and administrators of the Caribbean and Americas.”
The President of the Paralympic Association of Jamaica went on to emphasize the importance of the 2027 Parapan American Games, noting that it will be the first time the Americas Paralympic Committee will singularly host the multi-sport event.
Samuda highlighted the need to strengthen relationships that will facilitate knowledge-sharing and competency development. The ultimate goal, he explained, is to create memorable and exemplary sporting experiences in the professional delivery of both senior and youth games.
“Our objective,” Samuda continued, “is to deliver model games and internationalize our brand while pursuing a goal of establishing a global reputation as a leading sporting asset.” He concluded by stating, “It will be business unusual for us as the Americas Paralympic Committee, and this MOU is demonstrative of that approach.”
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