The XIII Special Olympics, World Summer Games’ opening
ceremony will be held on June 25, 2011, in the Panathenaic Stadium, Athens. It
is a host to 21 games, in which a total of 7,500 athletes from 185 countries
across the world are expected to perform, under the supervision of 3, 000
coaches. The event closes on July 4, 2011.
The Special Olympics’ organization came into being in 1968
and was founded by Eunice Kennedy-Shiver, sister of former US President John F.
Kennedy, who used to run a summer camp at home, which eventually led to the
creation of this organization, which focuses solely on helping the disabled.
Even though the first International Special Summer Games
took place in Illinois, USA, with 1,000 participants from 26 states of America
and Canada in 1968, it was not until 1971 that the US Olympic Committee gave
Eunice’s organization the privilege of attaching the title ‘Olympics’ to the
games. From then on it became a world sporting event.
Pakistan was invited to participate in the 1989 Special
Olympics. Special education schools, training volunteers, and coaches got
together to create the Pakistani team for the Olympics. Grounds for tennis,
football, and other sports were also borrowed. There was a special program
organized to teach people how to participate in the athletic events. This
program has now blossomed into a proper organization.
During the last Olympics held in 2012, Pakistani athletes
won an incredible total of 88 medals of which 40 were gold, 28 silver, and 20
bronze. The Pakistan Special Olympics team included 34 boys and 26 girls, who
participated in sports including basketball, football, aquatics or swimming,
tennis, athletics, badminton, table tennis and bocce (a ball sport). The team
for bocce won the most medals, 21, and the star athlete was Umair Farooqi, who
won gold, silver, and bronze medals in three separate events. Hopes are high
for the Pakistani contingent in the upcoming Olympics.
The Special Olympics slogan states ‘Let me win! But if I
cannot win let me be brave in the attempt’, which is a clear description of the
idea behind these games. It is to provide those with disabilities a chance to
prove themselves to the world, while also offering the world a chance to get to
know these special people for more than just their disabilities.
Originally published in The BNU Gazette, Issue no. 25
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