Para Football in West Asia
2022 FootballForAll Festival - Jordan, West Asia
Found out more below about our project with the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) and how we're supporting Para Football opportunities throughout West Asia and beyond.
Para Football is working in cooperation with the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) to develop football for persons with disabilities across the 12 countries of West Asia.
WAFF and Para Football signed a new cooperation agreement, which includes an action plan to develop the game starting with strategic planning and then moving onto the developmental side, later leading to practical application on ground.
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Stage 1: Para Football audit and Needs Analysis
(January 2021)
Para Football and WAFF created a questionnaire in arabic to collect information from National Football Associations, National Paralympic Committees and their partners in footbal for persons with disabilities. Para Football also audited the membership of the respective International Federations as members of the Para Football Steering Board.
In addition to the information received, the audit also sought insight and feedback on the resources, needs and future intentions around the development of Para Football.
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Stage 2: Development Workshops
(April 2021)
Para Football in West Asia launch event
WAFF and Para Football hosted a launch event for the programme with member association General Secretaries and Development Leads to set the scene for the development of football for persons with disabilities in the region.
- FIFA
- Asian Football Confederation
- West Asia Para Federation
- Asian Paralympic Committee
1. Governance and Capacity Builiding
- Para Football
- Japan Inclusive Football Federation (JIFF)
- Kudakwashe Mapira - Para Football Player Ambassador
2. Inclusive Communications & Awareness
- Para Football
- Disability Sports Channel
- Charlie Tohme
- Jaldeep Katwala
3. Football Development & Education
- Para Football
- Italian Football Association (FIGC)
- Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India (CPSFI)
- Jordan Paralympic Committee
4. Disability, Eligibility & Classification
- Para Football
- The English Football Association (The FA)
- Dr Raul Reina
- Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE)
- Oman Paralympic Committee
5. Network & Partnership Development
- Para Football
- Asian Paralympic Committee
- David Borja
- Palestine Football Association
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Stage 3: #FootballForAll Development Project
Providing support to National Football Associations and lead organisations for football for persons with disabilities, Para Football and WAFF aim to increase participation through the creation of pan-disabiity football opportunities. Laying the foundations of Para Football and implementing inclusive football strucutures, education, training and mentoring support will help to embed Para Football as part of the core business of national associations and provide long-term sustainability.
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Stage 4: West Asia Para Football Festival
A landmark event for the West Asian region, and first of its kind, the West Asia Para Football Festival will provide a pan-disability football opportunity for the 12 countries of the region to come together and celebrate football for persons with disabilities. The festival will include football skills training activities, followed by a small-sided informal competition, with social events throughout.
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Stage 5: Adapted Football Formats
Bringing together the Para Football lead organisations for the countries of the region and collaboratinf with the International Federations, Para Football will support the phased development of specific adapted football formats for identified impairment groups.
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WAFF
WAFF was founded in 2000 upon the initiative of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, as a Regional Association of football governed under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
It is compromised of 12 Member Associations: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
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