Damascus, (SANA) – President Bashar al-Assad and Mrs. Asma al-Assad visited on Sunday evening the training camp for the Syrian Special Olympics teams participating in the 7th Special Olympics Middle East/North Africa Regional Games which will be hosted in Damascus from September 24 to October 3 with the participation of 23 countries.
President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad inspected the training camp and the workshops of volunteer teams and families of children with special needs who are participating in preparing for the children conference which will be held during the Olympics.
They were also briefed by supervisors on the activities, programs and sports competitions that will take place during the Special Olympics such as the Junior conference that aims to bolstering self-confidence among children with special needs and their families through workshops and learning the skills that will prepare them for the future and make them real participants in society.
Later, President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad attended a workshop for training individuals with special needs and volunteers in public relations. The Olympics will mark the first time that individuals with special needs participate in the organizing and hosting process.
President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad talked with a group of trainees with special needs on how much they're benefiting from the training they're receiving.
His Excellency and Mrs. al-Assad reviewed the entertainment activities for the special needs athletes, their parents and the volunteers and exchanged cordial speech with them, wishing them success in the Olympic events, then toured the hall dedicated to teaching individuals with special needs how to draw, and listened to them playing a number of musical instruments.
President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad expressed admiration of the volunteers' determination, affirming that the motivation of the volunteers who number over 800 should help consecrate the culture of volunteer work in all aspects of life in Syrian society.
They also commended the efforts of the families of individuals with special needs and the supervisors, coaches, government establishments, and the civil and private sectors, all of which made the Special Olympics an event for work to integrate people with special needs into society and develop their capabilities to be able to participate actively in society and the development process.
The people in charge of the volunteer camp, the volunteers and the families of the athletes expressed happiness over this visit and appreciation of the care and direct interest shown by President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad towards individuals with special needs which had a significant impact on the change that is beginning to take place to the stereotype image that used to accompany people with special needs, particularly those with intellectual disabilities.
The Special Olympics will witness for the first time competitions in 15 sporting events, with the participation of 2500 individuals with special needs.
The Olympics are accompanied by several specialized programs including social programs such as the family program, the leaders training program, the children program, the volunteers program, and the youth program, in addition to a health program focusing on health affairs for people with special needs, and a scientific program will cover all the scientific details that can help handicapped individuals psychologically and socially in order to help them lead their lives normally.
In statements to SANA, participants and their families pointed out to the deep positive results of the visit of President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad on the members of this social group, saying that this visit reflects the interest of President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad in the handicapped and supporting them, and that it affirms that handicapped children are being cared for through working to make them normal and respected members in society.
They said that the visit had a positive impact on handicapped children and their parents, with some parents saying that they have become more optimistic in the future of their children after witnessing the attention given to this group.
Participating athletes affirmed that the visit strengthened their determination to achieve excellent results in the Olympics, saying that meeting President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad raised their morals and made them ready to break world records.
Participant at the leaders training and public relations program Marwa Jada said that she is happy to take part in the Olympics, indicating that the special training helped her master the skills needed for receiving visitors at the airport and accompanying them.
Nada Ghabra, a principal at a school for the intellectually-disabled youth, pointed to the importance of President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad's visit to this section, noting that people with special needs have outstanding talents and capabilities and an ability to take part in social activities and show their hidden capabilities.
For his part, Actor Samer al-Masri said the visit is a kind gesture on the part of President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad, especially since it comes during the holy month of Ramadan that reflected their interest in all social spectrums, mainly the handicapped.
He added that art and drama aim at showing the noble meanings that President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad embody in dealing with this social group, noting that Syrian television series shed light on the disabled and a host of other human conditions.
Volunteers in the Special Olympics said they benefited from their experience, stressing the importance of volunteer work to help the disabled acquire certain habits and play an effective social role.
Coordinators and directors in the event indicated that the visit of President al-Assad and Mrs. al-Assad gives further momentum to the participants to achieve the best results in the Olympics, adding that the visit gave a special human dimension supporting this social group and reflecting the considerable support provided to the Olympics.
M. Ismael / H. Sabbagh/ Mazen/ Zahra
