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The participants of the first ever wheelchair basketball introductory camp being introduced to Minister Nemcha Kipgen on Wednesday. (EM Images)[/caption]
Imphal, Sep. 5 (EMN): The first ever wheelchair basketball introductory camp was kicked off in Manipur on Wednesday under the aegis of Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India (WBFI) in collaboration with Department of Social Welfare, Government of Manipur and Department of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of Manipur and Shishu Sarothi.
The goal of the 3-day workshop is to train the first set of players and coaches from Manipur state for the long term development of the sport amongst the disability sector in Manipur. It is hoped that the training will go a long way in contributing to increase the number of qualified coaches and players for wheelchair basketball in India. 25 players will be participating out of which five are women.
Wheelchair basketball is a para sport played in Paralympics since 1960 and around 105 countries are playing this game. In India, this sport was introduced by WBFI in 2014.
Manipur Social Welfare and Cooperation Nemcha Kipgen, Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Jacintha Lazarus, Director, Youth Affairs & Sports, Armstrong Pame and Secretary General, WBFI, Kalyani Rajaraman attended the inaugural function of the introductory camp. Officials of both the departments and students from special schools also participated in the day’s the inaugural function.
Addressing the gatherings, Minister Nemcha Kipgen expressed on the importance of sports in everyone’s life and stressed that it is even more important in the life of a differently-abled person. Sport teaches independence, disciplined lifestyle and sense of competition; involvement in any form of sports will have rehabilitation not only on the physical body but also on rehabilitating and enhancing the willpower of the physically challenged person, she asserted.
Acknowledging that differently abled people participates in high performance as well as in competitive and recreational sport, she said that the efforts of a person with disabilities who overcomes the odds and participates in any paralympic games is commendable and something that should be encouraged and motivated by all.
She added that a nodal department, social welfare department has been earnestly working for improving the lives of our differently-abled people by implementing various welfare schemes and programmes to support them for secure education, academic, skill development that will enable them to earn a living and to become self-independent.