The Asian Paralympic Committee and BDH Foundation signed a strategic partnership agreement on Saturday that runs for an initial four years with the possibility of automatic renewal. APC President Majid Rashed and BDH Foundation Chairman Bae Dong Hyun inked the deal, which designates the foundation as a Prestige Partner of the committee. The pact targets expanded opportunities for Para athletes, enhanced capacity building for National Paralympic Committees and greater inclusion through sport across the continent, according to the Asian Paralympic Committee.
This collaboration supports athlete-centred development programmes and focuses on emerging Para sport nations to create sustainable pathways for competitors and technical officials. It aligns with the APC’s ongoing work in solidarity and capacity building among its 45 member National Paralympic Committees. The shared vision includes using the power of Para sport to transform lives, empower individuals and foster a more inclusive society, the committee stated.
Asian Paralympic Committee data shows that 41 of its 45 member nations sent athletes to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, representing about 25 percent of the global field and securing 464 medals in total. That medal haul marked an increase of 52 from the previous Games in Tokyo, with female participation among Asian athletes reaching a record 44 percent. APC President Majid Rashed highlighted these achievements as evidence of the region’s growing strength in Para sports.
The BDH Foundation, under Chairman Bae Dong Hyun, has established a history of backing Para sports initiatives worldwide, including a 100 million won donation to the Korean team at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games as reported by Seoul Economic Daily. Previous agreements with bodies such as the Americas Paralympic Committee have facilitated knowledge transfer in areas like coaching, classification and infrastructure development. These efforts demonstrate the foundation’s commitment to advancing Para sports on multiple continents prior to the new Asian agreement.
The partnership comes ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, which APC President Majid Rashed projected will feature a record 3,600 to 4,000 athletes competing in 18 sports. This event is expected to be significantly larger than recent editions, building on the upward trend in participation seen from 2,289 athletes in 2010 to around 3,100 in 2022. Such milestones provide a platform for the strategic partnership to deliver tangible impacts on athlete development and regional inclusion.
