When playing mattered over winning or losing - Coimbatore

For J. Bhavani, the very act of touching and holding the volleyball was special. “I would feel happy whenever I held the ball,” said the visually challenged girl, who along with other differently abled students, played adapted volleyball at the sports meet Avinashilingam University had organised on Saturday as part of the International Day of Differently Abled.

The sound of ball bouncing would bring me relief, she said. She and her team member were on one side of the net and her opponents were on the other side.

They had to roll the ball beneath the lowered net. If their opponents failed to grab the rolling ball, they got a point. And, when Bhavani and her friends failed, the opponents scored a point.

For Bhavani’s classmate A. Aaiyesh Banu, an eighth grader, playing ball relaxed her mind. And, for G.Amirthalakshmi, it brought a change from the mundane.

The girls along with A. Arul Mary of TLC Middle School fought hard in the volleyball event.

The University had organised sack race, lemon and spoon race, potato picking, kabaddi, chess, carrom and a few other events, said Premavathy Vijayan, Head of Department, Special Education.

The girls had earlier taken part in the district-level sports for the differently abled and won their way to Madurai to participate in the State-level event.

And, they won, said the students.

The differently abled students got a helping hand from the students of Physical Education Department, who taught them the rules and guided them in the competitions.

A. Praveena, a second year physical education student, said that it was a good learning experience interacting with the differently abled students, for they were surprised by their level of understanding. The students showed enthusiasm that was contagious as well.

Ms. Vijayan said conducting such sports events had a therapeutic effect on the students.

Her physical education counterpart. T. Shanmugavalli said that such events also brought the talents in differently abled students, which, when identified and groomed, helped them compete at national and international events.



Source : The Hindu , 7th Dec 2014