RI boys ready for Special Olympics<\/p>\n
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A mental handicap should by no means keep a person from
\ncompeting, striving and exploring their own capabilities, as Amos
\nBerry Selly, Michael Rosihan Jacob, Eko Robby Raharjo and I Putu
\nSarwada are out to prove.<\/p>\n
The four boys, instead of hanging around the mall like many
\nteenagers, are undergoing heavy training under the watchful eyes
\nof their coaches at the Special Olympics Indonesia (SOI).<\/p>\n
The four will represent Indonesia at the 2003 Special Olympics
\nWorld Summer Games in Dublin from June 21 to June 29.<\/p>\n
Amos, 17, will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
\nMichael, 13, will compete in the 50-meter dash and the softball
\nthrow, while Eko, 14, will take part in the 25-meter dash and the
\nlong jump. The fourth athlete, Putu, 19, who is training in
\nSemarang before joining his friends in Jakarta, will run in the
\n400m and 800m events.<\/p>\n
The athletes will be accompanied to Ireland by delegation head
\nIskandar Z. Adisapoetra and coach Amran Effendi Siregar, where
\nthey will join some 7,000 other handicapped athletes from all
\nover the world.<\/p>\n
Of the four, Amos, who won gold in the 100m and silver in the
\n200m at the 1999 World Summer Games in North Carolina, looks to
\nhave the best chance of winning a medal in Dublin.<\/p>\n
\"My best time for the 100m is 11.3 seconds. I'll give it my
\nbest shot at the Games to improve my time,\" Amos told The Jakarta
\nPost during a training session at the Yolanda Soemarno Tennis
\nCamp on Jl. Fatmawati in South Jakarta, last Sunday.<\/p>\n
Amos is also currently training to represent Jakarta at the
\n2004 National Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Indonesia first participated in the 1991 Special Olympics
\nWorld Summer Games in Minnesota, and has participated in the
\nquadrennial event ever since.<\/p>\n
This year's Dublin Games are the first time the event will be
\nheld outside the United States since its inception in 1968.<\/p>\n
The Special Olympics movement was founded by Eunice Kennedy
\nShriver -- sister of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy -- who
\nbelieved that people with mental disabilities could take part and
\nbenefit from competitive sports.<\/p>\n
Iskandar said the main benefit the athletes received from
\ntaking part in the Special Olympics was the feeling of belonging
\nto a community.<\/p>\n
\"Their participation will give them a sense of togetherness,
\nas they can meet Special Olympic athletes from other countries.
\nThey will see that they're not alone.<\/p>\n
\"On the other hand, the Special Olympic athletes can prove to
\nthe world that they can also do what other people can in sports,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Competing at the World Summer Games, according to Iskandar, is
\nalso a way to evaluate the Special Olympics programs that have
\nbeen carried out in Indonesia over the last four years.<\/p>\n
\"By taking part in sports, children with mental handicaps can
\nimprove their lives, their physical fitness as well as their
\nconfidence and independence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Special Olympic athletes will compete with different
\nregulations.<\/p>\n
\"Not only do we differentiate them by sex and age but also by
\nthe level of their abilities. This is called divisioning,\" Amran
\nsaid. \"There are four age-groups -- beginner (eight to 11 years
\nold), junior (12-15), senior (16-21) and master (22 and above).\"<\/p>\n
Athletes in each age-group will then be divided into several
\ncategories based on their ability. A faster runner, for example,
\nwill not be grouped with slower ones, and so on. A division is
\nmade up of at least three athletes and a maximum of eight.<\/p>\n
\"In addition to the usual gold, silver and bronze medals,
\nother athletes will get colored ribbons to mark their
\naccomplishment,\" said Amran.<\/p>\n
He pointed to the Special Olympics oath, which encourages the
\nathletes to do their best. \"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let
\nme be brave in the attempt.\"<\/p>\n
\"We are not talking about defeating other athletes, but rather
\nshowing to everyone that mentally handicapped athletes are also
\ncapable of doing things,\" Amran said. \"I would say it's more of
\nan individual achievement rather than a pure competition.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia was lucky to escape the fate of Chinese Taipei, Hong
\nKong, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, all of which were
\nbarred by the Irish government from taking part in the Games due
\nto fears over Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).<\/p>\n
The decision to bar the countries was strongly criticized by
\nMary Davis, chief executive of the World Summer Games' organizing
\ncommittee.<\/p>\n
However, two weeks from now the four Indonesian athletes will
\nfly to Dublin. Let us hope that Amos and friends will be the new
\nLoretta Claiborne, an outstanding Special Olympics athlete who
\nwon the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1996.<\/p>\n
Let us also hope that their participation in the Games will
\nopen our eyes to the fact that the mentally handicapped are
\ncapable of doing many things.<\/p>",
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