Basketball is more than just a game; it is a micro-society that teaches cooperation, responsibility and teamwork, while offering invaluable benefits to physical and mental health. Yet, for individuals with intellectual disabilities, the right to step onto the court often remains an elusive dream. According to data from the Special Olympics, only 10–15% of people with intellectual disabilities in Europe engage in regular sports activities, while UN figures reveal that 93% of women with disabilities are completely excluded from sports due to intersecting stereotypes. In Cyprus, institutional, infrastructural and social shortcomings keep these figures alarmingly low, leaving thousands of our fellow human beings on the margins.
Faced with these stark statistics of exclusion, the People’s Athletic Club Omonia 29th of May has chosen not to remain a mere spectator. On June 12, 2024, the club’s General Assembly unanimously approved a radical decision: the establishment of the first basketball team for persons with disabilities (PwD) by a fan-owned, grassroots sports club in Cyprus. This move was not merely an administrative act, but a conscious choice by the fan base itself to bring humanism and volunteerism to the forefront, rooted in the firm conviction that sports serve as a vehicle for empowerment, inclusion and social justice.
Today, two years later, this initiative has transformed the theory of inclusive coaching into a living, daily reality. The division’s philosophy does not focus on limitations, but rather on the athletes’ potential. Through adapted exercises, specialized guidance and the creation of a psychologically safe, non-judgmental environment, the coaching staff is dismantling stereotypes. The athletes in this division do more than just enjoy the physical benefits of exercise; they gain self-confidence, develop social connections and experience the invaluable sense of belonging to a genuine team. The basketball division of Omonoia 29M demonstrates in practice that inclusion should not be the exception, but the rule in grassroots sports, by consciously choosing to break down barriers of exclusion. Where official structures often fall short, the collective will of a member-owned club points the way toward a society free from exclusion. For two years now, on the court of this division, the score has not been measured in points, but in smiles, dignity and equal opportunities for all.
The creation of this division was rooted in the firm conviction that sport is neither a commodity nor a privilege for the few, but a powerful vehicle for empowerment, social inclusion and justice.
P.S. The photograph is from our Club’s first European trip to Athens, where our team played a friendly match against the corresponding team from Asteras Exarchion.
