Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States intend to establish sports competitions for children with disabilities. The meeting of the expert group to finalize and agree on the draft Regulations on holding summer and winter sports contests for children with disabilities took place on 30 January at the CIS headquarters.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the CIS Executive Committee.

Opening the meeting, Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Beketjan Jumakhanov noted that the draft Regulations were developed by the Russian side and approved in general at a meeting of the Council for Physical Culture and Sports of the Commonwealth countries in September last year in Tashkent.

“The organizational aspects of a sporting event are similar to the preparation and holding of the Games of the CIS countries, which, since the first Games held in 2021 in Russian Kazan, have earned high prestige in the sports community of the Commonwealth countries. We hope that the Spartakiad among children with disabilities will not only become a successful sporting event, but will also have an important social function,” the diplomat said.

According to Beketjan Jumakhanov, it is expected that the Olympics will be held once every four years for winter and summer sports separately. At the initiative of the Russian Ministry of Sports, the first Olympics are proposed to be held in 2024 for winter sports, and in 2026 for summer sports.

“I am sure that the summer and winter sports days for children with disabilities will become a bright continuation of new ideas in the sports field and will take their rightful place in the annual calendar of sports events of the CIS member states,” he added.

At the meeting, the experts agreed on a new name for the draft document - Regulations on the Spartakiad of Children with Disabilities in the CIS countries, finalized its text, and also developed and agreed on draft decisions of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS on this issue.

It should be noted that at present there are no systematically held sports events among children with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

It is planned that the sports competitions in Paralympic and Deaflympic (Deflympic) sports, a cultural program and scientific and practical events by decision of the organizers will be included in the sports competitions.

The regular holding of sports days will make it possible to involve persons with disabilities in systematic physical culture and sports, to promote their physical and spiritual education, improve sportsmanship and gain experience in participating in international competitions.