DUSHANBE, September 26, Asia-Plus — A group of young people with intellectual disabilities from Tajikistan is leaving today night for Italy to participate in the Special Olympics European Youth Games 2006.
A source in the Special Olympics Dushanbe Office, said four children – Nilufar Dadaboyeva from the Chorbogh orphanage, Junaidullo Aliyev and Sanovbar Khalilova from the special lyceum, and Umed Nazarov – will compete in athletics.
At the Youth Games in Rome, Special Olympics athletes will compete in seven sports: aquatics; basketball; bocce; bowling; gymnastics and soccer.
A Tajik delegation to participate at the Special Olympics European Youth Games in Rome is led by Dilbar Sharipova, director general of the Special Olympics program in Tajikistan. According to her, AgroInvestBonk sponsors travel of our sportsmen to Italy.
The Special Olympics European Youth Games 2006, involving 1,400 athletes from all 57 Special Olympics National Programs in Europe and Eurasia, will be held in Rome from September 30 to October 5 in Rome.
According to Sharipova, this will be the first time that a Special Olympics event is 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 include 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 are 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.
