EU Inclusion Run 2026 celebrates adaptive sports and equal participation in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU : Approximately 400 participants, including persons with disabilities, gathered at Narayan Chaur in Naxal on Saturday for the European Union Inclusion Run, an event organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Nepal to promote inclusive athletics and adaptive sports.

The gathering featured a team-based run integrated with adaptive sports demonstrations and activities, including wheelchair basketball, blind cricket, and football.

Addressing the participants, EU Ambassador to Nepal Charles Whiteley emphasized that inclusion is best demonstrated through concrete action, noting that the event highlights the core principle that sport is universal and societies grow stronger when everyone can participate, contribute, and thrive.

The event underscores the European Union’s broader commitment to fostering inclusion and equal opportunities across Nepal through collaborative partnerships with civil society organizations dedicated to youth and disability sports advocacy.

The EU Inclusion Run was organized in collaboration with Child Nepal, the Cricket Association of the Blind Nepal, the Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association, and the Nepal Boccia Association for the Disabled, with coordination managed by Meltdown. Child Nepal, alongside United Community Nepal and Protection Nepal, currently implements the EU-funded Sidelines to the Stadium initiative, which provides football training and professional pathways for marginalized urban youth.

Concurrently, the Cricket Association of the Blind Nepal, the Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association, and the Nepal Boccia Association for the Disabled drive the Mainstreaming Inclusive Sports in Nepal project, focusing on disability sport advocacy, specialized training, and the development of accessible sports infrastructure