ONE FOR ALL: Minister of Women Welfare and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah and Special Olympics Kuching Chapter chairperson, Datin Dayang Mariani Abang Zain are in jovial mood as they posed for a group photo with the Pyeongchang-bound athletes and coaches yesterday. The local athletes are representing Malaysia in next week’s Special Olympics winter games to be held at Pyeongchang, South Korea.
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is hoping for more parents with special children to encourage them to take up sports and games which may enrich their lives even better.
Their involvement in sports and games may nurture their hidden talents as future sportsmen and sportswomen who someday will represent the state at national and international events.
Minister of Women Welfare and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah yesterday called on parents of special children to think positively of their future despite their predicament.
“As a matter of fact, they can even represent the country in future Special Olympics,” she said after receiving a courtesy visit by athletes and their coaches from Special Olympics Kuching Chapter held at her office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya.
The minister had heaps of praises for the 13 state’s athletes representing Malaysia in this year’s Special Olympic winter games floor hockey competitions to be held at Pyeongchang, South Korea from Jan 29 to Feb 5.
The athletes were led by Special Olympics Kuching Chapter chairperson Datin Dayang Mariani Abang Zain and vice chairman Ng Kum Loi who is also Asia Pacific special trainer for Special Olympics.
According to the minister, their participation in the world-class event is already an achievement for the people to be proud of.
Fatimah, who is also president of Special Olympics Sarawak, urged parents with special children to register themselves as volunteers with local chapters of the Special Olympics Sarawak so that they can play their part in upcoming Special Olympics.
“Through their involvement in sports and games, the lives of our special children will be further enriched and from there onwards they can move on in life and become active members of the society,” she said.
At the last Special Olympics held in Idaho, US in 2010, the state team also represented Malaysia and finished second in floor hockey after narrowly lost to Cuba in the final.
“We are indeed delighted with their achievements and hopefully their exploits will inspire others to follow suit so that they too can compete in future Special Olympics,” she said on the team which is gunning for a top three finish in this year.
“It doesn’t matter whether they win or lose but most importantly is that they are there to carry Malaysia’s flag and join the games which are specially organised for the intellectually challenged worldwide,” added Fatimah.
The minister also called upon the corporate sector to lend a helping hand to support the special champions as part of their corporate social responsibility to the society.
According to Fatimah, the Special Olympics is still a prestigious international event to be reckoned with and for the fact that not everyone gets the opportunity of a lifetime of competing against others worldwide.
“It is still an amazing feat for someone like them to compete in their very own Olympics and to actually play against one another despite having the challenges and facing such shortcoming,” she said.
On the funding of the team to Pyeongchang and for Special Olympics Sarawak activities, Fatimah said her ministry had chipped in with RM25,000 while the Ministry of Social Development had allocated RM40,000, with the rest of the funding coming from generous sponsors from the corporate sector and individuals.
Meanwhile, the state team consisted of 18-year-old twin brothers Hajmi and Nazmi Fakrullah Mohd Naim, Farrel Gindong Jeffery, Mohd Nur Firdaus Andi, Saie Goeng, Jackor Rupiah, Lody Abu, Jonti Motan, Gladys Rait, Alerens Dennis, Nadzalruddin Mohamad Sawal, Jethro Ling and Gabriel Pidan Charles.
They are guided by coach-cum-player Badrulisham Amran who is assisted by Sanfa Guel, Pang Lee Ying and Siew Yong Hock.
Joining the Sarawak athletes in the national squad will be two athletes from Sabah who will take part in the snowshoeing event.