Special Olympics - a new concept to Sri Lanka

by Jayasri JAYAKODY

A press briefing to introduce Special Olympics to Sri Lanka was held at the Grand Oriental Hotel a few weeks ago. Senior Manager, Organizational Development South Asia Region Simon Koh, Chairman, Special Olympics Sri Lanka Joseph Vithanage, Vice Chairman Special Olympics Sri Lanka Thushara Sumanasekera and Sports Director Special Olympics Sri Lanka Paul Welangoda participated at this press briefing.

As Special Olympics is a new concept to Sri Lanka, a short introduction is necessary at this juncture. The Para Olympics that are held after the main Olympic Games that have a tradition of 100 years and are held every four years are for people with normal mental conditions but are suffering from various physical conditions.

But the Special Olympics that are held for people with special needs, and can be categorized under the theme of sports as well as a social service, because Special Olympics are a social service meant for, and targeted at, people who have become disabled due to weak intelligence quotients and, slow mental growth, requiring specialized assistance and largely forgotten and mostly kept out of sight, out of focus of the society. "The Special Olympics" are designed as a social welfare volunteer service with a humanitarian angle.

To develop how the civil society reacts to adults and children with intellectual difficulties, the Joseph P. Kennedy (Jr) Foundation led by his sister Eunice Kennedy, have taken the following steps: 1. Forming the President Kennedy Committee in 1961 for mentally deficient personnel 2. The formation of a network spread among the major medical schools and university colleges to provide for investigations and research towards mental health in 1967.3. The launching of "Special Olympics", an international volunteer social services organisation.

According to the research carried out by the medical students and professors attached to American universities, sports have taken top place as the best treatment for mentally retarded persons.

The "Special Olympics" volunteer organisation today operates in South America, the Latin Americas, Africa, the Middle-East, Europe-Eurasia, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Asia. Manager, Organizational Development South Asia Region Simon Koh recently toured Sri Lanka and participated in many promotional programs with "Special Olympics Sri Lanka".

At the main program at the Sugathadasa Sports Complex, from the mentally retarded Sri Lankans who were present, participants of eight years and over were selected, and their parents and guardians, representatives from homes with special needs, volunteer organizations and other social service organizations were briefed.

A Special Olympics games festival is scheduled to be held at end of this year covering the Western, the Southern and the Central provinces.

Another Special Olympics sports festival covering the whole island will be held next year (2010).

Those interested can get more details from e-mail [email protected]