Sports Festival of persons with disabilities Rawlakot

“Sports Festival of persons with disabilities�

Rawalakot June 8-10, 2012

Organized by:

National Rural Support Programme B-52 Housing Scheme Rawalakot Contact office: +92-05824-920083

Funded by:

Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund

Wheel chair users’ participants of sports festival

View of football match between Pine Hill Yellow and Pine Hill Green

The aims of this sport festival were • To provide PWDs opportunities for exciting sports competitions, individual achievement, team spirit, leadership and new friendships.

The event was tagged as sports festival of persons with disabilities” Rawalakot 2012. The sports festival for persons with disabilities started on June 8-10, 2012. Persons with disabilities across district Poonch, Bagh, Muzafarabad, Mirpure and a team of persons with visual impairment from Islamabad attended the event. Games which played in this event were cricket, volleyball, football, cricket of people with blindness, wheel chair race, and crutches race. The aims of this sport festival were • To provide PWDs opportunities for exciting sports competitions, individual achievement, team spirit, leadership and new friendships.

• Raise awareness among many sectors in the district – players, families, government officials, teachers, medical professionals, politicians, and many others – about competencies of PWDs which they have.

• Raise awareness among many sectors in the district – players, families, government officials, teachers, medical professionals, politicians, and many others – about competencies of PWDs which they have.

• provide forums for people with disabilities who are excited about sports to share knowledge, ideas and motivation.

The teams that participated in the sports festival include

• Communicate in a wideranging way the abilities and gifts of people with disabilities.

• provide forums for people with disabilities who are excited about sports to share knowledge, ideas and motivation.

• Communicate in a wide-ranging way the abilities and gifts of people with disabilities.

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Pine Hill Green Deaf Eleven Rawalakot Deaf Eleven Hajira Mirpure Blind Islamabad Blind Pine Hill Yellow Thorar Berloss Club Pachiot Our voices AJK Ford Bagh (Wheel Chair team) Rawalakot Junior

Preparatory Camp On June 07, 2012 a one day preparatory camp was organized. Although one day was insufficient but different teams were formed and trained, the coaches prepared players mentally and physically. The uniforms and shoes were distributed to each participant with disability. Mr.Ikhtiar Ullah certified coach

of Pakistan football federation was there for coaching. A separate team was given the charge of distribution of uniforms and shoes among the participants. All the teams were provided accommodation and food during four days. Teams stayed in different guest houses i.e. Shaheen International Rest House, Dream Land guest House, Hamalia Rest House, Al Ijaz Hotel, Pearl International Rest House, and Gulf palace hotel. Transport arrangements were made to transport participants from guest houses to ground at 9.00 am every morning. All the teams were provided with lunch at ground, while dinner and breakfast were complementary with accommodation. The teams were well looked after and has no problem regards to accommodation. The duty of one staff members was assigned at each guest house for care of participants.

NRSP Rawalakot formed different teams of professional and volunteers to see all the arrangements. Mr.Nazakat Hussain management executive from PPAF media unit attended this event to cover the first day of this sports festival. A team of cameramen from N-IRM were also present to cover the whole event.

Opening ceremony On 8th June programme started at 10.00 am with an inaugural ceremony. More than two hundred and fifty persons with disabilities participated in this grand event. The opening ceremony was inaugurated by Col. Rtd. Zameer Hussain advisor to PM AJK. Other distinguished guest s who attended this ceremony were Mr. Sardar Khurshid Hussain Commissioner Poonch division, Sohail Azam Deputy Commissioner Poonch, Rashid Naeem Senior Superintendent Police Poonch, Raja Tahir Mumtaz Assistant Commissioner Rawalakot, Sardar Khaliq Khan Chairman Pearl development authority, and Khan Zaffar Khan Chairman municipal corporation Rawalakot. Opening ceremony started with full dressed march of PWDs followed by torch run. Torch run was performed by students of rising sun education and welfare society Lahore who were Olympians of Special Olympics. SSP Poonch supported this event by providing police band, which multiply the glory of the festival. Chief Guest gave a commitment to start a rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities at state level.

Opening ceremony started with full dressed march of PWDs followed by torch run. Torch run was performed by students of rising sun education and welfare society Lahore who were Olympians of Special Olympics. SSP Poonch supported this event by providing police band, which multiply the glory of the festival. Chief Guest gave a commitment to start a rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities at state level.

Introduction of chief guest Col. Rtd. Zammeer with players

First day of festival On first day eight matches were played. Followed by inaugural ceremony first match was played between Pine Hill Yellow versus Pine Hill green. This tournament was one of the largest events of such magnitude in AJK history. Guest of honors who visited first day were Sardar Sagheer Advocate chairmen Jummu Kashmir liberation front, Sardar Liaquet Hayat president National Awami Party, and Abid Siddique Chief Editor daily Dharti AJK.

A view of blind cricket played between Islamabad and Mirpure

Our voices team

Volley ball match played between Pachiot and our voices AJK

Detail of first day June 8,2012 S# Team Name

Name of team

Result Football

1

Pine Hill Green

Pine Hill Yellow

Pine Hill Yellow win by 4 goals

2

Deaf Eleven Rawalakot

Deaf eleven Hajira

Deaf eleven Rawalakot win by 1 goal Cricket

1

Mirpure Blind

Islamabad blind

Mirpure defeated Islamabad by 4 wickets

2

Our voices AJK

Deaf Eleven Hajira

Our voices win by 8 wickets

3

Thorar

Deaf Eleven Rawalakot

Thorar wins by 15 runs

4

Abaspure

Pachiot

Pachiot win by 9 wickets Volley ball

1

Berlass club Pachiot

Our voices AJK

Berloss club win 15-4 & 15-5

Wheel Chair race 1

Abrar

1st

2

Khalid Bashir

2nd

3

Nadeem Abasi

3rd

Second day Total of twelve matches were played including semi finals in second day of this sports festival. Second day was also visited by different guest of honors sardar Javid Sharif advocate president district bar,Sardar Ajaz Afzal ameer-e-jamait Islami, and president press club Rawalakot.

A Player in bowling action

A player in bating action

Group photo with Commissioner Poonch division

Wheel chair race

Detail of 2nd day June 9,2012 S# Team Name

Name of team

Result Cricket

1

Pachiot

Deaf eleven Hajira

Deaf Eleven Hajira win by 5 wickets

2

Deaf Eleven Rawalakot

Abaspure

Deaf eleven Rawalakot win by10 wickets

3

Pine Hill

Rawalakot junior

Pine Hill win by 3 runs

4

Deaf Eleven Rawalakot

Pachiot

Pachiot win by 7 wickets

5

Islamabad blind

Mirpure blind

Mirpure win by 8 wickets Wheel Chair race

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Abrar

1st

2

Khalid Bashir

2nd

3

Nadeem Abasi

3rd

Crutches Race 1

Muhammad Danish

1st

2

Araz

2nd

3

Muhammad khalil kiani

3rd Semi Finals

1

Our voices AJK

Thorar Club

Thorar win by 26 runs

2

Deaf eleven

Pachiot

Pachiot win by 9 wickets Baccoo

1

wheel chair green

wheel chair red

green win by 6 points Volley ball

1

Thorar

Our voices AJK

Thorar win by 2-0 sets Foot Ball

1

Pachiot

Deaf eleven Hajira

A batsman in action

Pachiot win through penalty kicks

Third and Final day Third day finals of eight games was played. Last day was Sunday; most of the families visited the sports festival.

Detail of 3rd day June 8,2012 S# Teame Name

Name of team

Result Cricket

4

Thorar

Pachiot

Thorar win by 6 runs Cricket blind

5

Islamabad blind

Mirpure blind

Mirpure win on best of three basis

Wheel Chair race 1

Abrar

1st

2

Khalid Bashir

2nd

3

Nadeem Abasi

3rd Crutches Race

1

Muhammad Danish

1st

2

Araz

2nd

3

Ashfaq

3rd Simple Race

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2

Kashif

1st

Waqas Ali Rising Sun Lahore

2nd

Aneeq Shahid

3rd Baccoo

1

wheel chair green

wheel chair red

green win by 6 points Volley ball

1

Berloss club Pachiot

Thorar

Berloss club win by 15-5 & 15-8 Foot Ball under fifteen

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Pine Hill green

Pine Hill Yellow

Pine Hill Green win by 2-0 goals

Foot Ball senior Deaf Eleven Rawalakot

Pachiot

Deaf eleven Rawalakot win by1-0 goals

A group photo of Pine Hill teams with PPAF officials

Group photo of Governor Rotary International with wheel chair users

Introduction of teams with Senior minister Choudary Yaseen

Participants in prize distribution ceremony

Chairman PAC Sardar Abid Hussain Abid presenting shield to PPAF official Miss. Fahmina

Prize distribution by Chief Guest

Conclusion An estimated 10% people countrywide have disabilities. People with disabilities are among the most neglected and vulnerable groups in AJK. They have limited access to education and healthcare, and less opportunity for employment. Individuals with disabilities are often marginalized or ignored, and are more likely to be victims of violence and abuse than the general population.

In the face of these challenges, Sports festival for PWDs, 2012 has created a platform through sports to educate and communicate the dignity and value of people with disabilities, and to give them opportunities to showcase their abilities and talents. While living together far from their families PWDs would experience increase in self esteem and social skills.

Sports festival provided hundred of persons with disabilities, the opportunity to experience the power of sports. Sports are understood and celebrated by all people, regardless of race, nationality, gender, economic level or religion. Sports festival offered eight different games to persons with disabilities ranging from 7 to over 30 years old. Sports bring out pride, courage and joy in PWDs—while inviting families and entire communities to join in the celebration.

Detail of messages displayed by organizations, banks schools, and businessmen.

One of wheel chair user participant from Bagh quoted that “I believe that the Sports festival at Rawalakot have left an indelible mark, not just on those of us involved, but also on the AJK as a whole”.

Sports festival became vehicle for bringing people together, and it created opportunities for families, community members, local leaders, businesses, law enforcements, celebrities, dignitaries and others to change perceptions and attitudes matter. That’s why it would become a leading voice in elevating awareness of the needs and abilities of people with disabilities.

Those who witness the accomplishments of participants (PWDs) cannot help but think differently about long-held stereotypes and prejudices.

Through Sports games, people are reminded that we are all more alike than different. “A rewarding life is full of challenge, so do not pity them, give them a chance!”

Sports festival provided a positive venue for families to become part of a caring community, and to become involved in the movement of rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.

Beyond the playing field, Sports festival provided a platform where

1. Say "child with a disability" instead of "disabled" or "handicapped child “or Special child 2. Recognize my disabilities emphasize possibilities 3. Disability poses no limits to success 4. Persons with disabilities are people like you they have feelings and dreamsI 5. Choose not to place "DIS", in my ability.

The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

Disability is a matter of perception.

6. "Let's let kids be kids. Let's not handicap them simply

because they have a disability."

7. "A community that excludes even one of its members ... is no

community at all."

8. Notice me not my disability 9. I am with disability and still human 10. "NO PITY"“Give me Rights” 11. "The gifts which derive from justice are greater than those

which spring from charity."

12. "What Matter Is Deafness of the Ear When the Mind Hears?"

13. "Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat to Justice Everywhere."

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15. "The gifts which derive from justice are greater than those

which spring from charity."

16. "What Matter Is Deafness of the Ear When the Mind Hears?"

17. "Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat to Justice Everywhere."

18. "Inclusion is a birthright, not a privilege."

19. "Nothing about Us without Us." 20. "Your Attitude Just Might Be My Biggest Barrier."

persons with disabilities experienced social inclusion.

Another aspect of sports event seemed socialization of PWDs, this sort of get together provides a life changing impact on their social skills, independence and social outlets. Some family members reported extraordinary change in behavior of their children with disabilities.

Participants of sports festival in closing ceremony