Powerchair football is a unique and inclusive sport that offers individuals who use an electric wheelchair the opportunity to participate in a dynamic, fast paced team sport, fostering a sense of strong competition in keeping with a typical football environment. The sport is truly global with over 25 countries playing. Despite its widespread popularity and support of the biggest football clubs worldwide and the growing number of international tournaments, powerchair football remains absent from the Paralympic Games.

The premise of the Paralympic Games is to celebrate athletic excellence, diversity and practice inclusion, showcasing sports that cater to different types of disabilities. However, they currently do not include a team sport that caters to individuals who use powerchairs. Powerchair football is an ideal sport that provides a sense of strong sporting participation for those with the highest levels of physical impairment (including but not limited to muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy, and spinal cord injuries). Including powerchair football in the Paralympic Games would demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and ensure that no group of athletes is left behind.

There is a strong precedent for this inclusion. Sports such as wheelchair rugby and boccia, which are integral parts of the Paralympic programme, show that the games can successfully integrate new sports designed for athletes with high-support needs and offer brilliant entertainment. The inclusion of powerchair football would not only provide these athletes with a platform to showcase their football talent on the world stage, but it would also increase awareness and support powerchair users in the community and show what is really possible when the door to opportunity is opened. 

We encourage the International Paralympic Committee to look deeply at the gaps in the current structure and the overwhelming growth of the sport in the football world.

We are ready for #Brisbane2032 🦼⚽️

#Footballunitestheworld #addPOWER

Sign this request to bring powerchair football to the Paralympic stage.

(Thank you for the support _ Australian Powerchair Football Association)

https://www.apfa.org.au/australian-poweroos/​

https://www.youtube.com/live/gbOjh_VYjCE?si=7tjRUz6U3R5lERhj