Special athletes need govt support to excel: Ronak.

Byline: Mohsin Ali

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan Special Olympics Association (PSOA) Chairperson Ronak Lakhani has sought the support of government and private sector for special athletes, who are preparing for the upcoming mega events.

In an interview with The Nation on Monday, Ronak said: 'I just want our federal and provincial governments as well as private sector to lend us a helping hand. We just want them to recognise special talent and provide them facilities. We have number of friends, who always come forward to help us in the best possible manner. But without the support of government and corporate sector, we can't provide these athletes their due right.

'People like Dr Fahmida Mirza are very important for us, athletes and parents. Let me assure you all that with the IPC Minister's support, the future of our special athletes is quite bright. I hope the provincial sports ministers and multinationals will also play their due roles and help the PSOA, as it is our national and moral duty to support these special kids.

'We don't do much for financing the special athletes, as our aim is to train them and make them acceptable for the society. I am happy with my role, as I can see special athletes are going to next level. I don't bother, who is coming and who is not, I just want to work and help these special kids in best possible manner,' she added.

The PSOA chairperson said that the mega international events are round the coroner. 'We held five camps for special athletes. Winter Games 2021 in Sweden and Summer Games 2023 in Berlin are our main targets and we are preparing fresh pool of players for these events. The basic aim of conducting the first Quaid-e-Azam Special Games was to detect fresh talent, groom them for next three years and help them become top players.'

The first Quaid-e-Azam Games for physically challenged athletes were held here at Pakistan Sports Complex last week. Although it was the first of its kind, yet it was a massive...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT