DUSHANBE, October 10, Asia-Plus – Four Tajik young athletes with disabilities – Nilufar Dadaboyeva from the Chorbogh orphanage, Junaidullo Aliyev and Sanovbar Khalilova from the special lyceum, and Umed Nazarov – competed in the Special Olympics European Youth Games 2006 that were held in Rome from September 30 to October 5.
At the Youth Games in Rome, Special Olympics athletes competed in seven sports: athletics; aquatics; basketball; bocce; bowling; gymnastics and soccer.
A source in the Special Olympics Dushanbe Office said that our athletes won two golden and one silver medals. They win a race 4×100 meters and Umed Nazarov was first in pulling the shot. Nilufar Dadaboyeva won the silver medal for our team in the long jumps.
The Special Olympics European Youth Games 2006, involving 1,400 athletes from all 57 Special Olympics National Programs in Europe and Eurasia, held in Rome was focused on young people between the ages of 12 and 21. The aim of the Youth Games is to encourage young people with and without intellectual disabilities to break down barriers and forge new friendships to help build a more welcoming and inclusive society.
Other components of the Youth Games included a European symposium on the inclusion of young people with disabilities through sports, health screenings, a youth summit, a Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, and a pre-Games Host Town program in the Lazio Region (28-29 September) where delegations were welcomed into local communities.
Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization* dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter games.
