European Week of Sport partners: first-ever Special Olympics EU Day takes place in Brussels
Special Olympics, a partner organisation that promotes the inclusion of children and adults with intellectual disabilities through sport, organised their first-ever European Union Day in Brussels.
The Special Olympics European Union Day took place on 24-25 September 2025, celebrating inclusion and the unifying power of sport.
Organised by Special Olympics Europe Eurasia in cooperation with the European Parliament and the European Commission, the event marked the legacy of both the 2025 World Winter Games in Turin and the tenth anniversary of the European Week of Sport.
Athletes with intellectual disabilities shared their personal stories and experiences with EU policymakers, highlighting how European action can foster greater equality and participation for all.
“Unified Sports” experience at Berlaymont
The celebrations continued with a “Unified Sports” experience in the Berlaymont Piazza, where staff from European institutions joined athletes in friendly matches of table tennis and bocce – a joyful demonstration of the spirit of #BeActive and of sport as a driver of inclusion.
Closing plenary at the European Parliament
A closing plenary session at the European Parliament brought together senior EU representatives, including our Director-General Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, EP Vice-President Ewa Kopacz, and MEPs Bogdan Zdrojewski, Victor Negrescu and Antonella Sberna, reaffirming the EU’s ongoing commitment to inclusion through sport.
Draw for Unified Volleyball World Cup at DG EAC
The celebration concluded with the draw for the first-ever Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup in Katowice, Poland, on 5–8 October 2025.
The draw took place at headquarters of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, in the presence of Deputy Director-General Normunds Popens, Special Olympics representatives and athletes.
Video recap
Watch this video by Special Olympics Austria for a recap of this very eventful couple of days!
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