About the Championships

About the Championships

The World Para Athletics Championships is the world's premier para athletics event established by the International Paralympic Committee. The first conference was held in Berlin, Germany in 1994, and since the fifth conference in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011, it has been held every two years.
The Kobe Games were scheduled to be held in 2021, but were forced to be postponed twice due to the global pandemic of the new coronavirus. Finally, in May 2024, it will be held in Kobe for the first time in East Asia. Disabled and able-bodied people will work together to “connect” the excitement of the “Tokyo 2020 Paralympics” and the growing interest in parasports to the next generation, “expand” the circle of exchange through sports, and bring people with disabilities and others together. We are aiming for a tournament that “recommends” urban development that is easy for everyone to live in.

Kobe

Kobe is a port city that has prospered as one of Japan's leading international trading ports. Since the opening of "Kobe Port" in 1868, it has developed as a gateway connecting various parts of Japan with other countries, and from the accumulation of these connections, a unique open, bright and enterprising spirit flows throughout the city. Although Kobe was severely damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in1995, it has been largely rebuilt with support from both home and abroad. In recent years, various projects such as the implementation of the world's first retinal sheet transplantation operation using iPS cells, the formation of medical clusters (highly specialised hospitals, etc.), and the operation of the supercomputer "Fugaku" have progressed, and new growth continues in many areas.

Venue

The "Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium", official venue for the Championships, is one of Japan's leading multi-purpose stadiums, which was built in conjunction with the 1985 Summer Universiade. It was also used as a venue for the 1989 Kobe FESPIC Games.

Para Sports and Kobe

Other than the Paralympic Games, Japan has participated in the Fespic Games (former Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled). Dr. Yutaka Nakamura, who is known as the “father of the Japanese Paralympic Games,” proposed and realized this event to improve the welfare of people with disabilities in Asia and the South Pacific through sports. Oita and Beppu), the event was held until the 9th tournament in 2006 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) with the aim of promoting parasports in the Asia-South Pacific. Its philosophy and achievements have been passed down to the present day as the Asian Para Games. In 1989, the 5th tournament was held in Kobe, which triggered the establishment of para sports clubs such as swimming, wheelchair tennis, and para table tennis in Kobe, and the Japanese women's wheelchair basketball championship continued. and its legacy continues today.

Event Outline

This is the 11th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships, and the first to be held in East Asia (domestic).

Event title

Japanese name: Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships
English name: Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships

Championships Period

May 17th (Fri) to 25th (Sat), 2024

Championships Venue

Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium

Number of participating players (expected)

Approx. 1,300 people from some 100 countries/regions are expected to participate.

Championships Vision

• Advancement of the Paralympic Movement and Para Sports -つなげる Connect-
  To carry forward the inspiration and excitement from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, and push interest in Para Sports to new heights.
• Facilitation of international goodwill -ひろげる Spread-
  To transmit the image of “The City of International Sports, Kobe” to the world, and spread exchange through sports to even more people.
• Realization of an inclusive society ― SUSUMERU Recommend ―
  With this tournament as an opportunity, we will promote community development that is comfortable for everyone, including people with disabilities.

What is the World Para Athletics Championships?

The World Para Athletics Championships is the world's premier para athletics competition founded by the International Paralympic Committee. The first Championships was held in Berlin, Germany in 1994, and has been held every two years since the fifth Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2011.