Andhra Pradesh

Gutsy spirit to the fore at Special Olympics

Photo: K.R. Deepak

Chin up: Visually challenged children participating in a race at the Special Olympics organised by the Vizag Journalists Forum in Visakhapatnam on Friday. —

VISAKHAPATNAM: As the white flags dropped, there was a deafening sound from the crowd. Amidst the claps and shouts from the audience, P. Nagamani ran as fast as she could till she lost her track and bumped into another runner just a few yards from the victory mark.

Within a flash of a second, she stood up determined to finish the race and strode ahead not knowing where to stop till the hands of volunteers reached out to her and declared her a winner. Flashing a broad smile, the visually challenged Nagamani was simply elated at the thunderous applause she received from the crowd at the Special Olympics conducted by the Vizag Journalists Forum at Port Stadium on Friday.

She had been practicing sports activities regularly to overcome her difficulties, especially while taking part in a race. “It’s not so easy to stay in your track while running at speed. I have partial vision but that doesn’t help me much. It is only through practice that I can gain perfection,” she says.

Her dedication and commitment have won her many prizes in weightlifting and running at the district and State levels.

A student of Government Residential School for Visually Challenged Girls, she, along with her schoolmates, won several prizes in long jump, kabaddi, cricket, discus throw and running at the State level competitions held at Vizianagaram recently.

And now she is all set to embark on her maiden trip to Delhi to participate in a national parade in January next year.

Like her, there were many such special children who came to participate in the event organised by the Vizag Journalists Forum with the help of CMR Mall as part of its 20 years celebrations and went back with a sense of self-believe and confidence.

For T. Jeevan Kumar, a student of Santosh Educational Society, his polio-inflicted leg is no hindrance to his passion for sports. And he proved that by winning the 25-metre running race even as he struggled to stand at the end of it. “I get immense satisfaction and moral strength after participating in sports activities.

This is a medium that makes us feel that we are no less than others,” he says.

A general sense of camaraderie prevailed at the venue as the participants helped each other to move ahead, clapped for their friends and consoled the ones who couldn’t win. Students of MPEd of Andhra University and trainees of Sports Authority of India Hostel gave voluntary service to help the mentally challenged, visually handicapped, deaf and dumb and physically challenged persons who had come to participate in the event.

President of youth wing of World Telugu Federation Kavita D. Chitturi provided T shirts and caps to the nearly 450 participants.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu