Sports can give people with disabilities self-confidence, contribute to their general physical well-being, and offer an opportunity for constructive leisure activities. Playing sports can also be a major contributor to the integration of people with disabilities if it enables them to come together with non-disabled or other disabled people. Sport has another important function for people with disabilities: it forms an integral part of therapy and medical rehabilitation in rehabilitation centres.

Sports activities have a paramount importance in improving the movement coordination and psychosocial development among the mentally challenged children. To facilitate maximum support in sports and games, CIMR, One of the Best Ngo In India has developed a Multi – purpose Indoor court at its campus in Murinjappalam, Thiruvananthapuram.

At present eight sports activities such as Basketball, Foot Ball, Volleyball, Lawn Tennis, Shuttle Bat, Hockey, Cricket and Golf are being practiced at this indoor court. Besides the above activities, the children are also practicing Table Tennis and Carom. The sports activities are planned in such a way that each student will get a minimum of half an hour every day in a sports item. Children from pre-primary to vocational classes are actively engaged in sports activities.

Experience reveals that the sports activities facilitate to improve fine and swift motor development in mentally challenged children. In addition, the group activity in sports help to improve psychosocial and language functions among the mentally challenged. By playing different sports and games, children develop cognitive function also.

From a mentally challenged child who threw tantrums at his teachers, Johnny Jose from CIMR, has come a long way and become the hero in his school in 2015.

Johnny had been selected to represent India in the Special Olympics 2015 in Los Angles where more than 7,000 sportspersons from 177 countries had taken part in various competitions.

Johnny had taken part in 800 m, 1,500 m and the relays in athletics. Johnny, who joined the CIMR in 2007, has improved as a person over the years. Johnny excels in sports as well as in arts so much so that he can play the tabla, veena and bongo with ease. He can dance and perform Kathakali.

Johnny came first in the district-level competitions for mentally challenged and qualified for the State level competitions. He qualified for the national-level selection trials after winning the events in the State-level competitions held at Maharaja’s stadium in Ernakulam. Johnny was selected to the Indian team after undergoing selection trials and camps in Haryana, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Father Felix, the director of CIMR, said Johnny’s selection to the Indian team showed how well he had improved over the years and it was a big achievement.

CIMR stands proud in recording that 10 children from the Institute participated in Para Olympics held at Spain in 1992 and 85 children participated in the Republic Day Parade held at New Delhi in 1999.This is a clear indication that the mentally challenged children can do all activities at par with normal children if they are provided constant care and skill training. By experiencing their ability in sports, the former President of India, His Excellency Dr APJ Abdul Kalam presented two horses from the Indian Army as a token of love to the children for riding.

Your Online donation will help CIMR continue such innovative and effective teaching methods to the special children. CIMR’s rehabilitation method  for the mentally challenged has helped such individuals lead a self-reliant and happy lives in a society that is not ready enough to accept that lesser abilities does not make one a lesser human.

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