SOWSG2023 - Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023

Special Olympics World Summer Games are the largest sport and humanitarian event of the year. In 2023, they will be held in Berlin, Germany, 17-25 June. As the largest inclusive multisport organisation in the world, Special Olympics (SO) develops sporting skills and fitness among its athletes with intellectual disabilities. As a movement for social change, Special Olympics utilizes the power of sport to promote the personal and social development of participating individuals. The Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023 (SOWSG2023) fully meet the objectives of European Union (EU) policies in the field of sport as they promote volunteerism and mobility, social inclusion and fight against any form of discrimination (including against refugees), gender equality and safeguarding against sexual and other forms of abuse, environmental responsibility, digital technology in inclusive sport, healthier lifestyles, youth empowerment and grassroots community engagement. Some 6,000,000 SO athlete and their peers from over 190 countries have been preparing during the last four years to participate in 26 sports at SOWSG2023. Among them, some 7,000 have been selected and will represent their nations in Berlin. EU Member States and Erasmus + countries will be represented by 2,823 athletes, SO Unified Partners and coaches. These athletes will be supported by volunteer coaches from their countries to exchange best practices, on-site volunteers (mostly refugees residing in the EU), medical doctors in the SO Healthy Athletes Program, family members in the SO Family Program, educators from the SO Unified Schools program, Youth Leaders. The Global Forum for Inclusion will gather world leaders, UN representatives, policy makers, sport governing bodies, Heads of Governments and Heads of States, leading philanthropists and socially responsible businesses to developed jointly specific commitments towards an agenda of social inclusion using the power of sport.