INCLUSION OF ATHLETES WITH INTELLECTUAL IMPAIRMENTS IN SINGLE SPORT FEDERATIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. THE CASE OF TABLE TENNIS

Abstract

Jorge Abellán y Juan Gregorio Fernández-Bustos

In today's society and in sport in particular they are pursuing strategies to promote the inclusion of people with impairments. In this sense, they are occurring inclusions of athletes with impairments in single sport federations. The objective of this research is to evaluate the effect of the inclusion in the participation of athletes with intellectual impairments in Spain Championships Table Tennis, using two periods: pre-inclusion (2007-2010) and post-inclusion (2011-2014). Results show that the pre-inclusion group show higher values of total participants and levels of practice adapted. That is why so far this inclusion is not having the desired effect, the inclusion has not favored increasing participation of athletes with intellectual impairments championships in Spain Table Tennis.