Brunei To Host Olympic Meet For Special People

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei will be hosting the first sport championship for mentally retarded athletes in this country.

The eligible age for the participants will be from eight years old and above.

The championship is known as the first Special Olympic Brunei Darussalam Athletics Meet and will take place in April this year.

Meanwhile, a special practical training course was held yesterday for 40 teachers and instructors.

The training is to allow them to further conduct training for the mentally retarded people in their respective institutions.

Their training at the Hassanal Bolkiah Stadium in Gadong yesterday was part of a three-day training clinic which started on Wednesday with a theory exercise.

A total of 60 mentally retarded athletes from the Brunei Muara District were involved in the practical, a prelude to the first Special Olympic Brunei Athletics Meet.

The training includes the hundred meter walk for athletes.

Through the practical training, the teachers and instructors could also learn and examine every aspect of the game before the actual sports meet.

They were trained by a Special Olympic Trainer from Malaysia, Ng Kum Loy.

He was sent to Brunei by the Special Olympic Committee to train local trainers.

He said the sport's meet in Brunei is part of the country's preparations to send athletes to participate in the Special Olympic Winter Games in Japan next year and the World Special Olympic in 2007 in China which will see the participation of more than 60 countries.

According to Ng Kum Loy, winning the competition is not very important for them.

What he wants is the athletes could involve themselves in sporting activities as part of their growing process. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei 

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