With an aim to make the deaf acquainted with sports and prepare them to compete with other schools, Wangsel Institute for the Deaf in Paro celebrated Deaf Sports festival yesterday. Despite hearing impaired students’ interest in games and sports, according to the principal, there are no opportunities for them to participate.
23 years old Kinley Wangdi from Zhemgang is known at Wangsel Institute for his skills and talents in games and sports. However, with very limited platforms for the hearing impaired in Bhutan, he gives in to playing games and sports at school for leisure.
“Today we have deaf sports festival. All the deaf students participated. When we get such opportunities we enjoy a lot. For hearing people, there are lots of opportunities but for students like us, we don’t have many opportunities. Such activities keep us fit also,” Kinley Wangdi, Class X, Wangsel Institute for the Deaf, said (Gesture).
Until last year, the students celebrated sports day with Drukgyel Central School, However, addressing different needs of the hearing impaired, the institute decided to have separate sports day and prepare them to compete with other schools.
“First we rarely get chance to participate. Even if we do, we have to make our students capable enough to compete with others. That’s why we organize sports day here. We aim to prepare them well, then they can compete and participate elsewhere,” Dechen Tshering, Principal, Wangsel Insitute for the Deaf, said.
Wangsel Institute is also expecting Bhutan Olympic Committee to provide them with an opportunity to participate in Deaflympics, like any other countries in the world. There are 106 students at the Institute today.
