The 2nd World Athletics Championship for Athletes with Down Syndrome will take place on the island of Terceira from May 15 to 21, bringing together 17 delegations with a total of 167 athletes from South Africa, Brazil, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Estonia, Finland, Ghana, Great Britain, Italy, Macau, Mexico, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Venezuela and Portugal.

The Regional Secretary for Education and Training signed this morning the collaboration protocol between the Regional Government and the National Sports Association for People with Intellectual Disability (ANDDI) for the organisation of this worldwide sports event on the island of Terceira.

Speaking after signing the protocol, Cláudia Cardoso stressed that "the potential of sport in the promotion of inclusion is incontestable" and everyone knows "the path followed by the Azorean Government in the inclusion of people with special educational needs whether at the level of education or sport."

The Azores, said the Regional Secretary, "have gone through an unprecedented journey at the level of disability sport as the Region has boosted and acknowledged its importance. This effort is evidenced by some successful examples, such as the case of athlete Maria João Silva from the Pico Occupational Activity Centre, who won the world championship last year."

For the government official, it is a "great honour to sign this agreement which will enable the organisation of such an important event in Region, particularly on the island of Terceira, from May 15 to 21."

Furthermore, Cláudia Cardoso encouraged sports leaders to "continue their work in order to achieve excellence in sport as we have done so far in the Region. Indeed, this is one of the sectors that have stood out the most in terms of results and progression at the level of athletes belonging to sports associations and training. The area of sport has registered a very significant growth of which we are proud and has put the Azorean Government side by side with other regions."

According to the protocol signed today between the Government of the Azores and ANDDI, the Regional Secretariat for Education and Training, through the Regional Directorate for Sport, will be responsible for the logistics and provision of sports facilities and the necessary equipment while ANDDI-Portugal will be in charge of the coordination and supervision of the technical and sports management of this event.

In this context, the Regional Secretariat for Education and Training, through Regional Directorate for Sport, will provide food and accommodation for participants as well as their transportation from hotels to the competition venues. Moreover, the Regional Secretary will be also in charge of providing sports facilities and the material deemed necessary for organisation of the competitions, medical assistance and the social and cultural programme.

In turn, ANDDI will be responsible for obtaining the official recognition by the international entities overseeing this sports event. The protocol also establishes that this association will be in charge of the monitoring and accreditation of participants, technical and sports management of the event, including the technical supervision of competitions, referee coordination and the organisation of official prize-delivery ceremonies and the respective provisional secretariat.

Under this agreement, ANDDI is also required to provide the local organising committee with all the necessary information for the proper development of the organisation works, particularly with regard to the number of delegations and participants.