EPYG is stunning showcase for stars of future

Four-time Paralympian Barbara van Bergen has said the European Para Youth Games in Istanbul has given the future stars of Para sport vital international experience.

The seventh edition of multi-sport event has seen the cream of Europe's sporting youngsters compete across nine Para sports.

“This whole concept is perfect as some of them are going to be our next Paralympic stars,” said van Bergen, in Türkiye as part of the EPC’s Athletes’ Council.

“This is the first step forward for them into who knows what the future holds. But this will be where it started for them.

“It was so good to see the smiles on all the faces of the athletes, especially the ones who are here for the first time.

“They learn so much new stuff and make new friends and that’s the most important thing of the EPYG.

“For many of them, this has been their first flight, their first experience on an international level, classifications being done.

“They see that from now on I can go further in my sport and aspire to be one of the best.

“It was fabulous that most of the sports were at Cebeci so it was really easy to watch all the sports. That’s a good thing for youngsters as well.

“Once they are done with their training or competition they can go into another hall and cheer for their teammates.”

Van Bergen made her Paralympic Games debut in Beijing 2008 in wheelchair basketball before winning bronze with the Dutch team in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

She then made the switch to Alpine sitski competing in the winter Paralympics in Beijing three years ago.

And she believes experience of a multi-sport event - meeting Para athletes from different sports and countries - at a young age is a crucial stepping stone for a Paralympic Games.

“In Beijing we were still as green as grass even though our ages were older than the athletes here,” she added. “We had a lot to learn.

“I was speaking about this with one of the table tennis girls and she was asking me ‘what are the Paralympics like’.

“I told her this is the first step as the first time you step into the Paralympics village it is mind-blowing. Especially in the summer Paralympics which is so huge. In winter it’s not quite so big.

“In summer you see all the buildings, so many people and so many different people.

“I always give sportspeople the advice that they should soak it up the first days, wander around and experience everything and once you’ve done that then the focus can be on the sport.

“When you go to your second Games you know what to expect even though you still think ‘wow, we’re here again’.”

Fellow EPC Athletes’ Council member Markus Salcher has also hailed the concept of EPYG - and would love to see a winter version.

The Austrian, a two-time Alpine skiing champion from the Sochi Paralympics in 2014, said: “I had nothing similar when I was younger.

“In skiing, my first step was the World Cup or the European Cup. The EPYG is a great opportunity to give someone an introduction into a big event.

“It is similar to Paralympics so it’s a great opportunity for them. My first Paralympic Games in Vancouver flashed by.

“It’s important to remind yourself that when you’re at a Paralympic Games the sport comes first. But you have to enjoy the Games as well.

“I would love to have a winter version of these EPYG. It’s important for winter sports to have something after the grass roots which gives them an experience before the Paralympics.

“We do not have a European championships or something like that.”

This year’s edition of the EPYG has been staged with the motto Grow. Aspire. Play aiming to help young athletes develop their careers and life away from the sporting arena

And the ‘Discovery Programme’ has not only helped competitors and coaches develop their all-round knowledge of aspects such as dealing with the media and doping, but it has also taken sample events into Istanbul to increase awareness of Para sports.

Van Bergen added: “The Grow. Aspire. Play aspect has been important and been good to see. The athletes have seen that this is their first step into something bigger.

“It is really a growing experience and they are learning so much, but they’re also having so much fun. But sport should be the focus.

“It is the same with the ‘Discovery Programme’. Hopefully the legacy for Istanbul will be that more people are inspired to take up a Para sport.”

And Salcher added: “We want more people to be aware of Para sports. That is so important for the future.

“So if you have somebody with a disability in your surroundings you can go to him or her and ask them if they want to do sport then the opportunities are there.”

In his speech at the Gala Dinner on Sunday (27 July) evening, Raymon Blondel, President of the European Paralympic Committee, said: "Over the last three days, nearly 750 gold, silver and bronze medals have been won by you, the athletes. More than 600 of you have shone and claimed your place as Europe’s brightest stars of the future. Many more of you have challenged yourselves, reached your best and taken big steps in your journey towards bigger and better things.

"At times, it has been challenging and even difficult – I want you to know that, in sharing your experiences with me over the last week, I have heard you loud and clear. But with some of the world’s best coaches and team staff around you, you have risen above and shown your potential.

"Talking with you and your teams over the last days, in all locations, it has confirmed for me that Para sport in Europe is developing at such a fast pace in many different countries. It has reinforced what we know to be true – the region leads the way in so many different areas, from grass roots development and coaching to management and infrastructure, all designed to provide the best possible support for athletes.

"We do not take this for granted and so the work does not stop when Istanbul 2025 closes. Indeed, like you, the athletes, we are only just beginning. The legacy of this European Para Youth Games, as for all those that have come before it, will be evident in the time in between, and at, the next editions. It will also be evident amongst the people of Istanbul, many of whom have connected with Para sport – and maybe even people with disabilities – for the first time."

The record-breaking Istanbul 2025 European Para Youth Games officially opened on 24 July and run until 27 July. They featured a record 640 athletes with 1,200 competitors, coaches and team staff from 33 countries, also the biggest ever number, competing in Para archery, Para athletics, wheelchair basketball, boccia, goalball, Para judo, Para swimming, Para table tennis and Para taekwondo.

Participants also got to experience the Discovery Programme where they had the chance to take part in education and experiences in a broad range of topics, including activities designed to immerse the people of Istanbul in EPYG and to get to know Para sport.