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Botswana: Special Olympics Makes Headway
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
20 March 2008
Posted to the web 24 March 2008
Mosah Mokganedi
The Special Olympics movement has changed the perception about disabled people, a senior sports official has said. Ross Tebele the movement's director in Botswana says disabled people are now more accepted in society because of the special Olympics initiative.
That is why the movement won three awards during the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) awards ceremony at the weekend. Tebele said parents who have disabled children no longer hide them. They bring them forward to be helped. "The community has moved from the belief that having a disabled child is a curse," he said.
Special Olympics amassed three awards at the BNSC ceremony and ended up second in the pecking order after the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA). The feat was a big achievement for such a small code. At the BNSC, event Tebele won the sports administrator of the year award while Special Olympics got the group code of the year title. The third award for the code was bestowed on Shangidear Sibanda as junior male sports person of the year.
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Tebele described the performance at the awards as one of their biggest achievements. "We are completely humbled by the achievements especially that people with disabilities are usually relegated to the bottom of the ladder. We have shown that we can compete and be best," he said.
He added that they have proved that disability is not inability. He said the awards are good publicity for them as they showed that they are alive. Tebele said the movement won one award in the same event four years ago. The Special Olympics boss promised that they will continue to work hard to win more awards next year. The movement has penetrated most of Botswana and its membership currently stands at 1,514, Tebele said. He added that they are currently attracting media attention because of their activities. Special Olympics movement was established in 1979 in Botswana.
But it died shortly after and was only revived six years ago. The movement has a membership of 2.5 million people worldwide.
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