'From commercial communication the contagion in civil society'

Luca Pancalli: Gone is the philanthropic approach, now Paralympism has appeal for companies

by Maria Luisa Colledani

14 March 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

'I am optimistic and, while recognising the risk of reputation washing, I believe that we can no longer take steps backwards in the link between Paralympic sport and sponsorship. On the contrary, I see a glass that can be filled more and more,' is the analysis of Luca Pancalli, former president of the IPC and above all visionary forger of the Committee since the early 2000s and of a new perception of disability thanks to sport.

How has the corporate outlook for Paralympics changed?

Twenty years ago, it was a philanthropic, reputational approach, perceived as a social responsibility rather than a strategic corporate choice. It was more charity than sports marketing.

What are the elements that have changed the scenario?

The international Paralympic movement has grown rapidly in recent years and, thanks to the Paralympics, has found previously unthinkable visibility. There are now more than 210 national Paralympic committees, with strong country systems in Europe, the USA and interesting prospects, for example, in Latin America. This means that, in a globalised world, Paralympic sport also reaches everywhere.

What has been the role of globally known athletes?

The technical level, which has risen so high, is another element to consider and certainly Alex Zanardi, who wins at London 2012 and raises his handbike as if it were a trophy, is an iconic image. It marks, like the Charlie's angels (Ambra Sabatini, Martina Caironi, Monica Contrafatto, ed) of the 100 metres under the deluge in Tokyo, a turning point and contaminates the world of business interested or interested in partnerships.

And, in general, sport has an impact on GDP...

Sport has become a very attractive system for sponsors: the more companies have understood its importance, the more they have broadened their vision of sport itself. That has also given visibility to the world of athletes with disabilities. The litmus test of this phenomenon is commercial communication, an indicator of social and cultural change. For decades, advertising has ignored disability, and even silencing a reality means making it invisible from a social point of view. Today, in TV series, there are people with disabilities in wheelchairs, others in bathrobes, and they are not well-known champions. Paralympic sport and its characters have succeeded in making disability perceived as part of the normality of a community, which is then reflected in commercial communication. Thus, disability is no longer a niche, but part of everyday life.

Is there a risk of reputation washing?

It is not eliminated but today the approach is objectively different. Companies are approaching it no longer for charity, nor to decline corporate social responsibility, but because they have understood that Paralympism and disability are part of society.

Can there be a multiplier effect of the business-Paralympic sport link?

If the growth, vision and credibility of the sports movement, which has normalised disability, are maintained, businesses will see in it a fertile ground for communicating their values. And, at that point, a qualitative leap will be made: the attractiveness of sport will be able to become an element capable of helping the normal dimension of disability to spread in society.

Maria Luisa Colledani
- @mlcolledani
Lingue parlate: Friulano, Italiano, Inglese, Francese
Argomenti: Archeologia, arte, sport, in tutte le sue declinazioni, dall’ambito economico alle storie dei personaggi
Scheda autore
Trust project