Preparations are underway for Beijing 2008. With the rising levels of professionalism in sports for the disabled, we will see a dramatic increase in achievements on a worldwide basis. In order to maintain our high standing in Paralympic competition, match our past performances and hopefully outdo our great success in Athens 2004, we must take the following steps:

Establish an extensive youth movement for disabled athletes. This will entail increased investments in infrastructure, facilities and personnel (trainers, coaches) for Etgarim programs and at Bet Halohem and Ilan sports centers.

Apart from existing sports clubs for the disabled, youth movements for the physically challenged must be fully integrated into sports programs at community centers under the auspices of local municipalities.

Set up a core group of sixty athletes to train for the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, with the aim to field a team of forty. Standards for personal achievements over a fixed time period will determine the selection of the top athletes.

Looking forward to Beijing 2008 and beyond, ISAD plans to concentrate its efforts on two key sports: wheelchair basketball and swimming. In the past, we have sent large delegations of swimmers and basketball players to represent Israel internationally. For each sport, we seek to implement long-term instruction and training regimes, starting with boys and girls who show an inclination for sports and progressing with young men and women athletes.