MUSCAT: The fourth edition of the Annual Festival for Persons with Disabilities commenced on Thursday, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Youth (MoCSY) under the auspices of Laila bint Ahmed al Najar, Minister of Social Development, and Basil bin Ahmed bin al Rawas, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for Sports and Youth.
At the beginning of the ceremony, Zayana al Yaarubiyah, Director of the Department of Qualitative Activities at the General Directorate of Sports Activities at the MoCSY, presented an introductory overview of the festival, including a map of the programmes and activities implemented throughout the festival.
These activities include various individual competitions, such as the willpower race (3 km), bowling, bocce, shooting, chess and bocce (intellectual), as well as team competitions like wheelchair basketball, goalball for the blind, integrated football (intellectual) and football for the hearing-impaired. The competitions will be accompanied by training workshops, a tourist programme to visit various sites and landmarks, a seminar featuring inspirational figures with disabilities from GCC countries and cultural events, including an exhibition for disabled entrepreneurs, an art exhibition, and collective and individual performances by artists and musicians.
The festival events will take place at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, the Hope Sports Club, Muscat Grand Mall, and the Al Seeb Bowling Centre. The sightseeing tours will include the Royal Opera House, the Oman National Museum and the State Council. The festival programme will run from 8:30 pm to 9 pm daily during the festival period.
Afterwards, Leila al Najjar, observed the bocce sport and learned about its rules and some of the game's regulations. She also gained insights into the sport of shooting, the efforts made to enhance the capabilities of persons with disabilities, and received explanations about the tools used for air rifles and pistols in this sport, as well as the types of weapons and ammunition used in shooting.
The event also inaugurated the accompanying health exhibition, which simulated the process of specialists dealing with persons with disabilities during their presence in care and rehabilitation centres. Additionally, she learned about the services provided by the section for prosthetics and orthopaedic devices at Khoula Hospital and their role in reducing the effects of injuries and disabilities, as well as assisting visually impaired individuals.
Furthermore, the event showcased different types of footwear and prosthetic devices for feet and hands, along with spinal braces. Techniques for dealing with the visually impaired and providing assistance were also explained. The Ministry of Health's role in premarital screening to prevent genetic diseases and disabilities was highlighted. Following these activities, the Minister of Social Development, honoured the participating schools in the ceremony.
The festival coincides with the celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Hamoud al Jabri, Assistant Director-General for Youth at the MoCSY, and Deputy Chairman of the Festival Main Committee, stated that the festival is a specialised and qualitative event for persons with disabilities. It represents one of the programmes through which the ministry seeks to empower this group by engaging them in sports activities for entertainment, fitness improvement, and competition at local, regional, and international levels.
He added that the fourth edition of the festival serves as a model for collaboration between various entities, aligning with Oman Vision 2040 to empower persons with disabilities and achieve the fundamental goals of Oman's sports strategy.
Al Jabri emphasised that this year's festival is different from previous years, featuring numerous sports and cultural competitions, business development programmes, and initiatives at the governorate level, implemented for the first time in this edition. Regarding the achievements and outcomes of the programme, Al Jabri said the ministry aims to achieve several goals, including qualifying human resources working in programmes and activities for persons with disabilities, encouraging the private sector to support and sponsor this group in sports, selecting promising athletes to join national Paralympic teams, integrating persons with disabilities into society, and shedding light on issues concerning persons with disabilities.
The festival brings together government, private, and civil entities, showcasing the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Education, and numerous associations dedicated to persons with disabilities.
At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Dr Laila al Najar Minister of Social Development recorded her speech on the festival's commemorative board, in which she said: "We take pride in the care and attention provided to people with disabilities by all parties, believing in their abilities, skills, and creativity, and keen on integrating them into society. Many thanks and appreciation to those who supervised the festival and executed the event; you truly excelled."
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