Handwara, June 4 (KNS): Hope Disability Centre (HDC) and HELP Foundation (HF) in collaboration with Handicap International (HI)& supported by European Commission Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection (ECHO), organized first ever T10-Inclusive Cricket Match at Degree College, Handwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on 4th June. The purpose of this event was to encourage people with disabilities to participate in inclusive sports where they meet different people with/without disabilities and actively participate in these events to strengthen their integration in the society.
The match was played between teams from Baramulla and Kupwara and both the teams were having people with and without disabilities playing in their respective teams. Kupwara Lions defeated Baramulla Tigers by 7 wickets and while feeling proud of his team, man of the match Iqbal, who is a person with physical disability, said that it is for the first time in his life that he didn’t feel that he is disabled.
Present on the event were Abdul Majeed, Principal, Degree Collage, Handwara, Chief Guest of the event, Peerzada Mumtaz, District Social Welfare Officer, Kupwara, Tariq Ahmad, Dy.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelS.P- Handwara and other government/Non-government officials from different departments/NGOs. This historic event was attended by more than3000 people from all walks of life including people with disabilities.
Principal Degree Collage, while appreciating the efforts of HDC, HF & HI, conveyed that social inclusion of people with disabilities needs to be addressed on priority basis. Peerzada Mumtaz, laid emphasis on the upliftment of people with disabilities & said that more of such events should be organized.
Director, Hope Disability Centre, Sami Wani said that inclusion of people with disability is a global issue and a matter of concern in the state of J&K as well.As per Project Disability Manager, Handicap International, Mudassir Ashraf,sports has a unique ability to surpass all the linguistic, cultural and societal barriers and hence, an important activity for inclusion of people with disabilities. (KNS)