The number of children with intellectual disabilities who are attending a special sports training programme organised by Special Olympics Tanzania (SOT) has reached 65 in just three weeks.
The programme, which is special for children with the age of 2 to 7 years, is held twice a week (Friday and Saturday) at the National Indoor Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Speaking to the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ yesterday, SOT National Director, Frank Macha, said they are pleased to have received a good response from parents and relatives who are bringing their children to attend the programme.
“We are pleased with a noteworthy response from parents and relatives, we’ve realised that the demand is very high and we expect more children will continue to join the programme,” he said. Macha added that children attending the programme are provided with different basic training in sports.
“Since they are still young to go to the field, we only give them basic sports training using artificial sports equipment,” he said. He said some of sports disciplines the children practice include athletics, football, handball, hockey and golf.
Macha said such kind of programmes are good and helpful especially for pre-primary children. “We target children between the age of 2 to 7 years as that is the perfect age to instill something in them and help them get to like sports. Once this is achieved, it will be easy for them to mingle with others,” he said.
Macha appealed to parents and relatives not to hide children with intellectual disabilities, but they should bring them to the programme to explore their basic rights to mingle with other people in society like other children do.
By MBONILE BURTON, Tanzania Daily News
