Created by Briton Matt Rogers, VolleySLIDE focusses on the accessible and inclusive nature of sitting volleyball and encourages mass integrated participation at club level.

Rogers worked at London 2012 as the volleyball technical manager.

Using the internet and all forms of social media, VolleySLIDE has established a global based programme, providing a complete set of tools to help enthusiasts introduce low-level recreational sitting volleyball around the world.

VolleySLIDE was initially set up as an independent organisation from World ParaVolley but due to the success of the campaign, World ParaVolley says it will be using VolleySLIDE materials as their start point for grassroots sports development and initial workforce education for the Paralympic discipline of sitting volleyball.

So far, VolleySLIDE materials have been sent out to 49 different countries identified by World ParaVolley, which claims that people from over 84 countries have visited the VolleySLIDE website in the past month alone.

Iran and Bosnia and Herzegovina have been the dominant forces in men's sitting volleyball winning seven Paralympic titles between them ©Getty Images



Sitting volleyball made its debut at the 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto as a demonstration sport before becoming a full part of the programme at Arnhem 1980.

Hosts the Netherlands claimed the first gold medal in sitting volleyball in 1980 going on to retain their title in 1984.

Since then however, Iran has dominated the sport winning Paralympic titles in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008, while Athens 2004 champions Bosnia and Herzegovina regained their crown at London 2012.

Women's sitting volleyball was first contested at Athens 2004 and China has claimed all three gold medals since.

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