Special Olympics: Shock rejection for five members of Pakistan Special Olympics delegation

Two athletes, three others denied visas; decision being appealed.

ISLAMABAD:

Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.

The motto of the Special Olympics is an outright call to allow people who are differently-abled to participate and prove their ability to overcome stereotypes and achieve. Our Special Olympians have in the past, not only participated, but have won with greater regularity than our ‘regular’ Olympians.

However, the Greek Embassy’s rejection of the visa applications of two athletes from Pakistan’s Special Olympics delegation for Athens 2011 has denied them a chance to brave the attempt. With the team scheduled to fly out on the 20th, it seems unlikely that appeals will be processed in time.

The Special Olympics Summer World Games scheduled to run from June 25-July 4 will feature some 7,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities from over 185 nations compete in 22 sports. The games will use about 3,000 technical officials and 25,000 volunteers.

Pakistan’s Special Olympics athletes will participate in eight event categories including athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, bocce, cycling, football and table tennis.

The two athletes whose visas were rejected are Muhammad Asif Khan and Ayaz Ahmed. The other three whose visas were rejected are Global Youth Activation Summit (GYAS) participants Saba Ilyas, a special person who also won a bronze at the last games, and Sarah Alam, along with Syed Nofil Naqvi, a cameraman who was supposed to file reports for Pakistani television channels from Athens.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Head of Delegation Nasim Ahmed said that of the 78 passports submitted to the Greek Embassy, only these five passports came back without visas. They were told that the visas were automatically rejected by the computerised visa processing system.

Special Olympics Pakistan has participated in six Special Olympics World Games since 1991, and this is the first time ever they have had to face a visa rejection. Some of the Pakistani athletes participating in the event have trained for more than five years, and now two of them might be denied the chance to proudly strut out in their green uniforms and shine.

In 2007 in Shanghai, China, the Special Olympics team won 15 gold medals, 20 silver medals and 16 bronze medals. Special Olympics Pakistan (SOP) had high hopes for these world games too.

In contrast, Pakistan has won only 10 medals including three golds, all three in hockey, in 15 Summer Olympics.

The SOP office, while respecting the Greek Embassy’s security and immigration concerns, expressed deep disappointment with the decision.

The Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families and other Special Olympics athletes.

Athletics Federation of Pakistan President Major General (retd) Muhammad Akram Sahi called it “a very sad incident.”

“We are not being treated as sovereign country across the world because we have no respect,” he added, hinting at non-sporting factors as having played a part in the decision. He suggested, “Our foreign office should immediately ask them why they refused to issues visas.”

Talking to The Express Tribune, Pakistan Olympics Association Director General Muhammad Afzal termed the decision “unjust”.

“I cannot understand why Greece refused to give them visas despite the fact that Pakistan athletes have shown great talent [at the Special Olympics].’’

He reiterated that there is no example in the history of Pakistan where special athletes were refused visas to participate in the games.

The Greek Embassy in Islamabad has been shut down due to some security issues with the Capital Development Authority for removal of safety barriers from front of the embassy.

Case in point: Short bios of the three special persons denied visas

Muhammad Asif Khan, 28, was going to participate in badminton. He has an intellectual disability, as do two of his six other siblings. In his own words, Asif felt insecure, hurt and worthless before he joined Special Olympics Pakistan, where he tried his hand at badminton.

Regular training and hard work improved his fitness and general behaviour.  Winning medals gave him enormous confidence as he experienced the joy of victory and developed friendships. He tells everyone: “My life would have had no meaning without sports” and “I would have missed out on the best times of my life if I did not join the Special Olympics”.

Ayaz Ahmed, 24, who has an intellectual disability, was hyperactive, aggressive, and, as the oldest of four siblings, always on the edge due to his behaviour.

Just four years ago, Ayaz joined Special Olympics Pakistan, where regular sports training helped him learn the rules of life and the meaning of respect, be it in victory or defeat, on or off the court. He overcame years of insecurity and is now able to express his feelings, which has earned him many friends.

He readily shared his hopes of leading a better life and striving towards personal independence.

Saba Ilyas grew up in an orphanage run by Christian Nuns and has an intellectual disability. She was a weak, shy and insecure child. During Special Olympics training, she showed interest in athletics and swimming, which improved her health and helped her make friends. With time she gained confidence and discovered a hidden talent for singing, dancing, and basketball, for which she won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2007. Travailing also helped Saba in her general behaviour, friendly and helpful to others. She makes every effort to encourage girls to join sports training to gain the same benefits as herself.

She was going to participate in the Global Youth Activation Summit, a parallel event where 66 national teams of teenage volunteers and special persons work together to foster an environment of acceptance and inclusion.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2011.