Getting funds is the biggest challenge for athletes with intellectual disabilities in the country. This is according to the Special Olympics Bhutan who had a group of its athletes make history at the Special Olympics World Games held in Germany. The team won two gold and one silver at the competition. They arrived back in the country last week.
The team consisted of four members, two male and two female, and participated in the shot put and 100-meter race categories.
17-year-old Nima Yoezer bagged two gold medals and 19-year-old Dechen Peldon won a silver medal at the Special Olympics. Both are students of Draktsho Vocational Training Centre.
The team was led by their head coach, Deki Zam, who is also the executive director of Draktsho.
“If we give them the equal opportunity and the right platform, we can see that they outgrow themselves. They come out of their shell and they become themselves. They can prove that they are capable of something. It is just that we have to give them the right platform and equal opportunities. We have seen our athletes become more confident and they are able to talk to people,” said Deki Zam, executive director of Draktsho Vocational Training Centre.
But she says funding is one of the biggest challenges for Bhutanese athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete on the international stage.
“The biggest challenge we faced was funding since Special Olympics Bhutan is currently not registered under any federation or organisation. Right now it is just functioning under the umbrella of Draktsho. So, we have had a lot of challenges in raising funds,” added the executive director.
She said the Special Olympics Bhutan was able to get funds this time from the South Asia Pacific Region and Special Olympics International. She added that they also raised funds through donations.
The Special Olympics Bhutan is the founding committee in the country for athletes with intellectual disabilities and is an accredited programme recognised by Special Olympics International.
So far, 12 athletes from the country have competed at the Special Olympics Games since 2011 and brought home 14 medals.
Tashi Yangden
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
