Sports gala: Harnessing the sporty side of the little ones

Week-long matches, skits and speeches by the underprivileged children.

ISLAMABAD:

The second day of the Annual Sports Gala, an event that comprises sports and other extracurricular activities, took place at the Jinnah Stadium on Monday. The focus of this week-long gala are going to be orphaned schoolchildren of ages from three to seven years.

Organised by Pakistan Sweet Homes, a project of Pakistan Baitul Mal, around 28,000 schoolchildren from 28 cities of the country are taking part in it.

In the morning, the young boys tested their abilities in tug-of-war, sack race, relay race, long jump, badminton, and cricket. After lunch, the children performed skits, speeches on themes such as “Terrorism” and “My country” and were treated to a monkey and goat show, while a clown and muppet grarbed as a pumpkin pulled off antics to keep the children entertained. Some children even braved a climbing wall, wearing a body harness for safety.

A fashion show had little boys dressed up as brides. They wore colourful jewellery and traditional dresses to represent each province. While the children seemed to be enjoying themselves, some teachers complained of mismanagement on the part of the organisers, “there are very few bathrooms and those too in shabby condition. These kids need to freshen up when they are tired,” said a teacher, who had brought along her students from Karachi.

A row of stalls sold snacks while another had set up medical camps to check for physical and dental hygiene of the children. Each student received a health file after the checkup.

The event will continue till March 23.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2012.