Special Olympics: India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka promote Inclusion through Unified Cricket

ANANTAPUR: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt.”
The Special Olympics Athlete oath.
The 3rd South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament was held on 2nd and 3rd December between Special Olympics teams from Bangladesh, Serendib (Sri Lanka) and India hosted by Special Olympics Bharat at Anantapur Sports Academy, a sport for development initiative by Rural Development Trust (RDT).
The tournament was held with support from Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Lions Clubs International and the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust along with Rural Development Trust (RDT), Anantapur.

This was the third edition of the tournament, with the previous two been held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014 and 2016. The objective behind this tournament was to showcase unified sports persons with and without Intellectual Disabilities (ID) to team up and play.
“RDT is privileged to welcome all the special athletes to South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament. A rare occasion for the inclusion for integration – A global village, crossing barriers and carrying a spirit of unity.” says Moncho Ferrer, Program Director, RDT.
A total of 4 matches were played over two days and Bangladesh won the tournament after two successive wins against India and Sri Lanka. The rules of this T20 game were designed in such a way that each player got enough time on the crease. This was accomplished by pairing persons with and without Intellectual disabilities to play maximum of two overs.
Interesting rule in this form of cricket was the batsmen could get out as many as 6 times in an over and the total team score was the average of total run by total wickets.
“It was a great feeling to play with players from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and to bond with them”, says opening batsman Pravat Bharal the Special Athlete from India who dreams to play in Special Olympics in World Games.

“On behalf of Special Olympics International, I wish many great wickets and centuries for all the cricketers competing in the 3rd Special Olympics South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India. As the second most popular sport in the world, and with over 80,000 Special Olympic athletes competing in cricket worldwide, all eyes will be proudly focused on the great example of sport and inclusion that you are setting. Play well, Play fair and Play Unified!”, says Drew Boshell, Senior Vice President, Sport & Health, Special Olympics International.
Alongside the competitions, all participating Special Athletes were screened for ‘Fit feet and Health Promotion’ on 2nd and 3rd December in the Judo hall. Along with families of the children with special needs were also given awareness on ‘Hygiene & Sanitation & Intellectual Disability’ on 3rd December 2017, which coincides with International Day of Disability.
The 3rd South Asia Special Olympics Unified Cricket Tournament was a great display of inclusive sports being a changemaker in the lives of specially-abled. More of these Unified Sports tournaments should be organized to give an equal chance to ‘special athletes’. Special Olympics Bharat has done a great job by providing an opportunity for the ‘special athletes’ and through other regular initiatives that help strengthen the athletes-mentally, physically and emotionally.