Slovakia

Inclusive sports events in Cyprus, Italy, Slovakia, and Spain foster hope and belonging for refugees and people with intellectual disabilities

[Paris, France - 19 February 2026] On 19 February, more than 200 Special Olympics athletes, Unified partners (athletes without intellectual disabilities), and media convened at the City Hall in Paris, France for a landmark moment: the official unveiling of the 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams selected to compete in the Special Olympics Unified Football World Cup Paris 2026.

[Katowice, Poland – 14 October 2025] The first-ever Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup took place 5 – 8 October in Katowice, Poland. Sixteen international teams competed, with Slovakia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) taking the men’s/mixed and women’s crowns, respectively.

After an electric four days and 40 matches played, the inaugural Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup crowns its first-ever champions: Special Olympics United Arab Emirates (Women’s) and Special Olympics Slovakia (Men’s/Mixed).

On day two of the Special Olympics Unified Volleyball World Cup Poland 2025, Šimon and Team Slovakia took on Austria once again, securing a decisive 2:0 victory.

Special Olympics spent last week working on the progression of research and evaluation for people with disabilities as it penned a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity.

This International Day of Play, Special Olympics is celebrating the joyful, inclusive, and powerful impact of play in the lives of children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

On 20 May 2025, 19-year-old Dominika Medveďová from Brezno swam 750 metres, cycled 20 km and ran 5 km before crossing the finish line at the 4th Open European Special Olympics Triathlon Championships in Šamorín to become the first Slovak woman with cerebral palsy to complete an international triathlon.

Dominika Oravcova holds up a Special Olympics Slovakia flag at the alpine skiing medal ceremony, cheering loudly for her sister, Michaela, who has just won the bronze medal.

Yesterday marks a historic day for the Special Olympics Motor Activity Training Program (MATP) when the first-ever MATP Demonstration took place at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Turin 2025.