Have you ever imagined playing basketball in a wheelchair, playing boccia sitting on the floor, and playing soccer without seeing absolutely anything? Visitors to Reatech can experience these sensations and, yes, have a lot of fun. The Brazilian Paralympic Committee's booth is certainly one of the most popular at the event, the Paralympic Arena.
Completely free of charge, people are participating in these three sports every day of the event, which runs until Saturday at the São Paulo Expo. On-site, instructors explain the rules and dynamics of each sport, and then it is literally time to get your hands or feet dirty to play the chosen activity.
In basketball, people sit in a wheelchair appropriate for the sport and need to dribble the ball twice before moving or attempting a shot at the basket. In boccia, there are two pairs of balls with different colors and weights in which participants must throw the balls (with a difference in weight, the heavier ones are used to knock away the opponent's ball and the lighter ones to get closer to the target), and in blind football, participants are blindfolded and experience the sensation of playing football without seeing anything, listening only to the goalkeeper's directions and the sound of a bell inside the ball.
“The public is loving the Paralympic Arena, we are open to everyone with or without disabilities. They learn the sports and end up having a lot of fun, we have no age limits, I advise people to come and practice, because only then, by participating in the experience, can they understand what Paralympic sport is like. In soccer, for example, people think they will be able to play, score goals, and when it starts, without being able to see anything, they just stand there, looking for the ball where it isn't, it's a lot of fun,” commented Ketlen de Souza, one of the Arena's instructors.
In addition to the Paralympic Arena, Reatech 2023 also offers sports lovers the ADD (Sports Association for the Disabled) Arena. The venue hosts high-level competitions featuring Paralympic athletes as well as demonstrations. There are two official-sized courts featuring different sports, with instructors and activities every day. On Thursday, the Arena hosted the opening ceremony of the 3rd ADD Parasports Games, with the participation of parathletes from different parts of São Paulo.
“We made a point of bringing the opening of the games to Reatech, with invited teams. We will have sitting volleyball, 3x3 basketball, rugby, dwarf football—which will be presented at the event for the first time—and Down syndrome football. Here we alternate between high-performance sports for Paralympic athletes and demonstration sports, but with continuous interaction with the fair's public, who can try out all the sports the athletes play on the court. Sport is so cool and inclusive that people with disabilities feel welcomed and equal,” explained Eliane Miada, general director of ADD.
Brazil is one of the major highlights in Paralympic sport.
Brazil is one of the biggest powerhouses in global paralympic sport. In the last edition of the Paralympic Games, Brazilian athletes placed seventh in the standings of the Tokyo 2020 Games, achieving a mark of 22 gold, 20 silver, and 30 bronze medals. With these numbers, Brazil has already surpassed the milestone of 100 gold medals in the history of the Games. The next Paralympics take place in Paris in 2024.
