DELHI HOSTING 6th INTERNATIONAL
ABILYMPICS
New Delhi is holding 6th
International Abilympics during this month.. The week-long event
would be held from November 23rd to November 30th
2003 at the Indira Gandhi Indore Stadium where participants
will compete for honours in 45 events under four categories.
Coined from the words Ability
and Olympics-Abilympics offers an opportunity to persons with
disabilities to demonstrate the excellence of their vocational
skills. The novelty of the event lies in the fact that ability
is the focus of the event rather than disability. Featuring participation
of more than 3,000 contestants from over 50 countries, the Abilympics
will highlight the importance of education and vocational training
for the disabled. It will provide an ideal platform for the participants
to get an exposure of the latest technology in job oriented skills
which, in turn, helps in their inclusion into the main stream
of society. Supported by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of Delhi,
various organisations and NGOs, the 6th International
Abilympics will be a multi- sectoral effort.
The preparation for the international
event began way back in 2001 with the setting up of National Abilympics
Association of India. Soon Regional Abilympics were held in the
Four Zone in October-November, 2001 leading to the Organization
of National Abilympics in November, 2002 to select participants
for the International event. .
International Abilympics is
held in every four years. The first International Abilympics was
held in Japan in 1981, coinciding with the United Nations International
Year of the Disabled. The Second, third and fourth Abilympics
were held in Colombia, Hong Kong and Australia. It was at the
fifth Abilympics held in Czech Republic that Abilympics came to
be widely known in India with its small contingent of 14 participants
taking away maximum number of prizes. It set the balling rolling
for holding the mega event in India.
Also known as a Celebration
of Abilities, Abilympics have been described as heroic as the
Olympics, more uplifting than the Oscars and as soul-stirring
as any other event on the earth. It is a platform to demonstrate
the imagination, resolve, passion and excellence in the creative
abilities of the persons with disabilities. The President Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has in a message said that "the Abilympics
…underscore the fact that given an opportunity, the disabled are
more than capable of participating in national development as
equal partners". Wishing all success in this noble venture, the
Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said, "the disabled
in any society deserve our respect and not our pity or charity.
They are entitled to their own space. Empowering persons with
disability, by vocational training for rehabilitation, is a laudable
endeavour as it will help raise their self-esteem and bring about
their inclusion in the social mainstream".
