Special Olympics ‘Kick It’ programme reaching into communities

Special Olympics Unified football programme, dubbed “Kick It,” is hitting the communities.

The programme stopped by at the Layou Playing Field with a unified match, featuring young players from that community merged with players with intellectual disabilities.

National director of Special Olympics SVG Sezevra Joseph indicated to SEARCHLIGHT that the aim of the programme is to continue to look for players without disabilities and volunteers to sustain the efforts.

Following last Saturday’s successful sojourn in Layou, Joseph disclosed that on Saturday, January 21, the caravan will head to Georgetown and to Bequia, February 4.

“We may not cover all the communities, but by October, we are hoping to host a competition final, involving the eight areas identified,” Joseph stated.

Joseph noted that St Vincent and the Grenadines is pitching to have a unified football team to the 2019 Special Olympics Summer Games, set for Abu Dhabi.

“It will be the first time we are entering a unified team in football; hence, we are working hard to get the blend of players to form a good unit,” the national director added.

Joseph said that when configured, the team will consist of both players with and without intellectual disabilities, but on the actual team set up, more players will have to be with intellectual disabilities.

“If it is seven-a-side, then four will be with disabilities and three without and if it is eleven-a-side, then it will be six with disabilities and five without, on the field at the same time,” the national Special Olympics directors explained.

Joseph advanced that the unified sports, in this case football, help to create a culture of inclusion, understanding and respect for individuals of all abilities, both in schools and communities in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The “Kick It Programme” was officially launched August 31 last year, and is being funded to the sum of $60,000 from the Mustique Charitable Trust.

Other partners are the Government of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Flow SVG, with multi-year partners being Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Digicel SVG Limited.(RT)