NBT And RBA Sponsor Brunei Special Olympics Team
By Sonia K and lzam S. Ya'akub

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei Darussalam Special Olympics received a cheque of B$4,984 yesterday from NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd for sponsoring a team of Special Olympics athletes from the country to participate in the 3rd Special Olympics -Mt Kinabalu Climbathon to be held in Sabah, Malaysia from March 31 to April 3.

This is the first time special athletes from the Sultanate are being sent to participate in this challenging event.

At the cheque presentation ceremony held at the Pusat Ehsan, Pg Hj Tajuddin bin Pg MdYassin, manager of the centre, received the donation from Haji Shahrum Haji Kadir, NBT's General Manager for Sales.

Meanwhile, Royal Brunei Airlines also sponsored seven air tickets for the special athletes and their escorts and head of the Brunei delegation.

Present at the function yesterday to hand over the air tickets to Pg Hj Tajuddin was Rozman Junaidi, Manager of Advertising and Promotions of RBA.

The three Bruneian athletes to participate in the 3rd Special Olympics in Sabah are Shaifol Rizal Haji Nordin and Ahmadi bin Awang Suhaimi from the Pusat Ehsan and Md Affizul Suhaili, a student from Awang Semaun Secondary School.

"The theme of the event is about reaching new heights, with the objective of creating awareness that the intellectually disabled can achieve their dreams," said Pengiran Datin Hajjah Noraini binti Pengiran Dipa Negara Laila DiRaja Pengiran Haji Abdul Momin, who is the Chairperson of the Board of Brunei Darussalam Special Olympics.

"We are cheering our athletes on with the Brunei Special Olympics motto: `Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt'," she added.

NBT is sponsoring all the costs for the three athletes to participate in the Climbathon as well as three escorts and head of delegation who will accompany them during the event.

The sponsorship also includes daily allowances and travel and climbing insurance as well as athletic and hiking gear.

NBT is also sponsoring the return airfares for a four-member RTB crew who will be accompanying the Brunei Special Olympics delegation to film their progress in the international event.

The upcoming event, which is attracting some 70 athletes - all first-time climbers - is organised by the Malaysian Special Olympics.

"We are delighted and proud to sponsor these athletes," said Haji Shahrum Haji Kadir from NBT.

"We greatly admire their courage and perseverance, despite their development difficulties. They serve as an inspiration to us all - to believe that where there's a will, there's a way."

In the past, NBT has sponsored and collected nearly $1 million in proceeds for local charitable causes from activities such as the Toyota Classics, a regular event in Brunei Darussalam by world-renowned orchestras and musicians.

Special Olympics Brunei Darussalam based at the Pusat Ehsan welcomes corporate donors or individuals to contribute to the development of Brunei Special Olympics athletes. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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