Over 400 special children attend Ability Sports Festival

PESHAWAR: Over 400 sports persons and children with disabilities got together at the Hayatabad Sports Complex to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities.
The Ability Sports Festival was attended by special sportsmen, sportswomen and children from 13 districts of the province and Bajaur and Khyber agencies.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Friends of Paraplegics, Peshawar Zalmi Foundation and others had organsied the event. The International Day of People with Disabilities is marked on December 3.
The sportspersons took part in T-10 wheelchair cricket, wheelchair table tennis, standing table tennis and badminton sports.
Paraplegic sportsman Khalid Afridi, who also headed the Fata wheelchair cricket team, appreciated
the efforts of the organisers for arranging such activity for persons with disabilities. “Such events reaffirm our determination to focus on our abilities, and not disabilities,” he said.
Engr Irfanullah, representative of Friends of Paraplegics, an organization working for the empowerment, rights and opportunities of living near normal lives for persons with disabilities, said persons with disabilities were provided minimal opportunities in Pakistan and this event was a blessing in disguise for the persons with disabilities.
He said his organisation was advocating two percent quota to be reserved for disabled persons in all government departments.
Muhammad Akram, head coach of Peshawar Zalmi, said seeing spirit and passion of people with disabilities was an inspirational experience for him.
Chairman Paraplegic Centre Hayatabad, Ilyas Syed, said disabled persons faced different challenges in routine life after getting treatment.
“Care is not just restricted to treatment, these people need moral, physical, technical, financial support and recreational and sports activities in order to overcome countless challenges the disable people are facing,” he said.