HNS supported an inclusive football tournament for persons with disabilities at Jarun

This project is planned to be organized in other cities as well, continuously engaging communities, promoting inclusive sports practices, and driving social change.

The main goal of this initiative is the long-term inclusion of persons with disabilities in football. The tournament served as a platform to raise visibility, break stereotypes, and engage persons with disabilities alongside professional footballers.

The event at Jarun featured mini football for persons with disabilities, exhibition matches with professional football players, football activities for children and adults, a running camp, educational workshops, and kids’ races. The project was officially included in the European Week of Sport initiative and is supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), the Croatian Paralympic Committee, and numerous other organizations. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) was a key partner of the initiative and the project, actively contributing to the organization and visibility of the tournament.

The action also aimed to raise funds for the purchase of prosthetic and orthopedic aids to enable children with developmental difficulties, persons with disabilities, and persons with amputations to actively participate in sport and physical activity. In Croatia, according to the latest data from HZJZ, more than 640,000 people live with disabilities, including 73,260 children – highlighting the importance of such initiatives.

The objectives of the initiative are to show that football is accessible to everyone by creating shared spaces where football is played inclusively; to encourage ongoing participation by involving persons with disabilities in structured football activities alongside coaches and professional athletes; to promote systemic changes by drawing attention to the need for equipment and inclusive sports programs; and to motivate clubs, federations, and institutions to integrate persons with disabilities into football at the national and regional level. The tournament serves as a pilot model to be replicated, expanded, and embedded into regular football programming, using football as a tool for social change by promoting solidarity, equal opportunities, and inclusion in society.

The tournament and the overall initiative demonstrated that football is accessible to everyone and laid the foundation for the long-term inclusion of persons with disabilities in sport both nationally and regionally.

More than 400 walkers participated in the action, including parasport athletes, children, well-known public figures, and citizens of all generations.

“You don’t need to be a professional athlete to achieve such a result. It is enough to have the will, the intention, and a goal bigger than yourself. We all have the right to the same quality of life and the right to dream. We are obliged to help our fellow human beings”, said the organizer, Danijela Lončarić.

In addition to the walking challenge, the program included a wide range of sports and educational activities: a mini football tournament for amputees with the participation of well-known footballers, Nordic walking, a Tai Chi presentation, children’s races of 100 and 200 meters, and educational workshops. The Croatian Football Federation was a proud partner of the mini football tournament and the entire initiative, emphasizing the importance of inclusion and equal opportunities in sport.

“With this action, we want to raise funds and enable children and persons with disabilities to practice sport because sport is the best tool for social inclusion. Our goal is also to encourage all parasport federations to foresee a budget item for ‘Orthopedic aids in sport,’ because without them, there can be no true inclusion”, added Ana Sršen, president of the Association of Amputees of the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County (UAZ).

All collected funds will be donated to UAZ for the purchase of orthopedic aids, ensuring children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in sport.

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