Both the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Organizing Committee of the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games (LA28) made major announcements today, with the former announcing the LA28 Paralympic Games Medal Event Programme, and the latter announcing the LA28 Paralympic Games Venue Plan.
LA28 Paralympic Games Medal Event Programme
Following an extensive review and consultative process, which involved significant collaboration with all International Federations, the Games will deliver the largest medal event programme and most gender-balanced athlete quota in the history of the Paralympic Games.
Sitting volleyball will remain a high-profile sport in LA28, as it has been for all editions of the Paralympic Games since 1980. The IPC has confirmed that the discipline will be represented at LA28 with eight (8) men’s and eight (8) women’s teams, with each team having up to twelve (12) members.
| Male | Female | Total | |
| Athlete Slots | 96 | 96 | 192 |
| Men’s | Women’s | Total | |
| Medal Events | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Men’s 8-team tournament | Women’s 8-team tournament |
This result demonstrates that the discipline is viewed by the IPC Governing Board as being very healthy in all aspects: governance, competition, global participation, management, etc. In a Games environment where the overall athlete quota for all sports is capped at about 4400 athletes, with pressure from new potential sports that apply to be on the programme, it is always welcome news that sitting volleyball slots are preserved.
Next up for the World ParaVolley Sport Department is to work closely with the IPC to develop the LA28 qualification criteria, which the IPC aims to publish in the first half of 2026.
(previous release announcing sitting volleyball inclusion in LA28 HERE)
Read the full IPC release HERE.
LA28 Paralympic Games Venue Plan
In other significant news today, the Organizing Committee of the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games (LA28) announced the LA28 Paralympic Venue Plan.
The City of Long Beach will be the location of the LA28 sitting volleyball competition. Adjacent to the Convention Centre, the Arena in Long Beach will stage sitting volleyball, promising to be a thrilling tournament experience.
The Arena in Long Beach is a versatile facility in the heart of Long Beach’s downtown waterfront. The venue hosts various entertainment and professional and college sporting events and staged volleyball and fencing during the 1984 Olympics Games.
The Venue will be very convenient for fans of Paralympic sport, as it sits within a hub of other sport venues that are all within close walking distance of one another. The Arena in Long Beach has recently undergone some upgrades, including new spectator seating, which promises fans of sitting volleyball a great viewing experience.
With every competition venue within a 35-mile radius, the venue plan maximizes the use of premier venues within the Los Angeles area, reduces the overall number of standalone sites and minimizes travel times for athletes staying in the Paralympic Village. As a result, for the first time since Rio 2016, Paralympians across every sport will have the opportunity to be housed together at the Olympic and Paralympic Village which will be based on UCLA’s campus.
Read the full LA28 release HERE.
Read the LA28 Paralympic Games Plan HERE.
The list of all Olympic and Paralympic Venues is HERE.