By Rumana Fouzia Choudhury
Photographs by Sakib Muhtasim
Founded in 1968, the Special Olympics were organised by Eunice Kennedy Shriver as a day-camp to include the participation of intellectually disabled children and adults in sports. In 1995, through Mr. Ashraf-Ud-Dowla’s initiative, Bangladesh became a member, and now 177 countries participate in the Special Olympic World Games. This year, from July 25th to August 2nd, 54 athletes from Bangladesh participated in the six disciplines of athletics – badminton, bocce, football, swimming and table tennis, winnning a total of 18 gold medals, 22 silver (11 of which were won by the football team) and 14 bronze medals.
Towering over his coach, a lanky and smiling Abdul Kader Soron, 20, sat quietly as his father, Md. Solaiman Hossain explained that his son’s speech impediment never stopped him from making friends and playing sports as a child. This was Soron’s first ever international game, and he bagged 3 gold medals in badminton, in the singles, doubles and unified doubles matches. Against a ‘normal’ player who is far more experienced, Soron deflected every attack, his coach, Md. Zaheed Ramzan explained. He beams when reminiscing about the umpire of the unified matches telling him Soron “has good technique”, and the disbelief and awe of the Yonex sponsors at what Soron achieved in “only 3 months!”
Most players get a year to practise.
Just as Ramzan worries about the lack of funds for these athletes, Parul Akter’s coach Md. Golam Mostafa worries about the lack of employment opportunities that could provide them financial stability. Her father, Md. Zahiruddin, said that no matter what happens, he hopes his daughter can continue her career in sports. While her coach and father spoke, Parul Akter, not yet 18, smiled impishly, tugging at the ribbons of the gold and silver medals hanging round her neck—the ones she won for 100m freestyle swimming and for 50m freestyle swimming respectively. She also won a bronze medal as the fourth member in 50m relay swimming. Her training comprised of swimming 3000m everyday for a mere two months.
The 24-year-old Sumon Khan said he would prefer to play football and cited his mother, Shabana Begum as his favourite person. Begum explained how he was born a healthy child but at the age of one and a half years, he was afflicted by a fever that left him with stiffness in his limbs and robbed him of his speech. Through sports, he found his strength and belonging. After training for two months, through the rain in June and July, Sumon won 2 gold medals for shot put and as the fourth member in 100m relay.
Sumon Khan’s head coach, Ms. Sufia Khatun, an Olympic Champion of women’s 100 m sprint in 1968, says, “There is not enough coverage so while these athletes achieve so much, the support for them is sporadic and only concentrated around the events.”
Shy, Jakia Sultana, 16, who secured 2 gold medals in the singles and unified doubles in bocce, preferred to stay close to her coach, Kazi Bilkish Begum, who attested to Jakia’s many other talents. Ms. Begum said that Jakia loves to draw in her spare time. She is also a dancer, and performed in India in November 2014 as part of a cultural exchange program organised by A.L.P.A.N.A (Association for Learning Performing Arts & Normative Action).
In table tennis, the brother-sister duo of Naimur Rahman, 15, and Sadia Akter Urmi, 18, each won a gold medal in the singles and a silver medal in the mixed doubles. Sadia is proof that one can always switch careers, because she won gold in bocce in the Asia Pacific Games 2013: Special Olympics Australia, and then switched to play table tennis alongside her brother. Their father, Md. Babul Akter, a retired soldier, praises the bond between the siblings and reveals they are quite guarded in their choice of friends. Akter said his children are quick to cut ties with those who backbite because, in their opinion, “those who say mean things about others are not right on the inside.”
Their head coach, Gautom Kumar Das said that these young gifted athletes miss sports events tremendously. Sports fields, swimming pools and ping pong tables become their home, where they are engaged physically and mentally both in their game and with fellow players. “They don’t have such a community from where they come from and so grow isolated once such events are over.”
Faruqul Islam, National Director of Special Olympics Bangladesh spoke about the slogan of unified matches in the games; Play Unified, Live Unified. He explained that while things are better now for the intellectually disabled, there is still a long way to go to integrate these children and adults into mainstream society. However, he said that with a little more awareness and support from the community, perhaps these young children and adults who have shown time and again that they have much to offer can say, we can also do it.
1. Parul Akter, not yet 18, hails from Dhamrai, Dhaka. She won a gold medal for 100 m freestyle swimming, a silver medal for 50 m freestyle swimming and a bronze medal as the fourth member in 50 m swimming relay.
2. Faruqul Islam, National Director of Special Olympics Bangladesh, in front of the their headquarters in Uttara
3. Jakia Sultana, 16, comes from Madhupur. She won 2 gold medals in singles and unified doubles in bocce.
4. Left to right: (Left) Jakia Sultana, winner of 2 gold medals in the bocce singles and unified doubles matches; (right) bocce head coach, Kazi Bilkish Begum.
5. Abdul Kader Soron doing what he does best
6. From left to right: (left) Badminton head coach, Zaheed Ramzan; (right) Abdul Kader Soron, winner of 3 gold medals in singles, doubles and unified doubles matches