Special and a whole lot more!

Karachi
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt,” asserted Ronak Lakhani, the chairperson of the Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP), genially, repeating the famous Special Olympics oath in an exclusive chat with The News. She is more commonly known as Ronak Aunty by the athletes of the SOP, their parents, those who come under her wing, and all those who are aware of her contribution towards the fight for equality for the intellectually-disabled community of Pakistan. “No more ‘R’ word!” she exclaimed unequivocally, “Respect. Acceptance. Inclusion. That is what we at the Special Olympics aim for.”
Visiting Ronak Aunty’s home was a stirring experience to say the least. It was positively inspiring. Participants’ identification cards were strewn abundantly over a rounded table, volunteers were working frantically for last-minute preparations, and team jerseys and towels emblazoned with the Special Olympics Pakistan insignia were being distributed and packed. The scene was brimming with a sort of adventurous commotion that induced a fusion of excitement, empathy and pride.
Pakistan’s 77-member contingent, comprising 55 athletes and 22 coaches and staff members, is now in Los Angeles for the Special Olympics World Games 2015, which kicked off on July 25 and end on August 2. Fortunately, we had the delightful opportunity of meeting and having a chat with two of the athletes and their families just days before the mega event.
Umme Salma Tayyab, the cheerful pride and joy of her loving and supportive parents, is a badminton natural ever since she started playing six years ago. She has won a silver medal at the Special Olympics National Games and has been practicing for the good part of a year for the World Games.
"She was declared deaf, dumb, and hopeless by her doctors at the time of her birth, but she has consistently challenged herself throughout the 18 years of

her life," said Tayyab Ali, her overjoyed father. “She developed an interest in and engaging in not only sports but also computing, cooking and arts.”
Silencing all her skeptics and surmounting her fears, Umme Salma has now emerged as a potential national hero.
While we were engaged in a pleasant conversation with Umme Salma and her parents, we were warmly greeted by the other athlete and his family.
Hammad bin Nauman, a robust and good-humoured 21-year-old basketball player, remarked lightheartedly, “No tension, just khushi (happiness), I’m confident!” upon inquiry.
The young athlete’s father, Nauman Mehboob, said, “Today I am known as Hammad’s father rather than the other way around. Parents with special children ought to realise that their children are not liabilities. My son is a blessing to us and we couldn’t be more proud!”
The parents of both athletes were all praise when it came to discussing thr SOP. “My child has been transformed from someone with close to no self-esteem to a brave young fighter after her year-long experience at the SOP training camps” said Umme Salma’s father.
Both athletes’ parents agreed that their faith in the SOP had increased as they were gradually made familiar with the organisation's facilities and how their children’s personalities had changed for the better.
The Special Olympics Pakistan has embarked on a mission. A mission that is ongoing since the SOP’s inception in 1989. For more than 25 years now, the SOP provides year-round sports training and athletic competitions for people with intellectual disabilities all over Pakistan. Our athletes have won a whopping amount of 294 medals which include 117 gold medals in the six Special Olympics World Games that they have participated in since 1991. Safe to say this would not have been possible without the guidance and training the SOP provides.
Other than sports and athletics, the SOP includes a ‘Healthy Athletes’ programme in which first-rate ENT medical care for the athletes is provided free of charge, and a family support network programme that provides education about intellectual disabilities for athletes and their families
“We intend to form a unified society through the common and natural medium of sports,” said Ronak Aunty enthusiastically. “Sport engages and involves. Those diagnosed with intellectual disabilities can express themselves and hone their abilities through participation. We help them change their lives.”
Integrating and involving people with intellectual disabilities is an immensely demanding task in a society that largely remains intolerant, unaccepting and apprehensive of the differently-abled.
However, that very fact makes efforts for a positive change all the more important.
Steps must be taken towards the gradual inclusion of the intellectually disabled and perhaps the first of those steps requires us to be just a little more welcoming and open. The SOP, its spirited efforts, and its heroic athletes deserve recognition and acclamation. Let us do our part and show our support!
To get involved with Special Olympics Pakistan, follow their Facebook page ‘Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP)’.