RKI.news

Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR: Five hearing-impaired children from the Kashmir Institute of Special Education (KIAS), Kashmir Institute of Special Education, have qualified to participate in the upcoming National Special Olympics scheduled to be held in Islamabad from May 14 to 17, officials said on Tuesday.
According to Director KIAS Dr. Amjad Ansari, the selected students will represent Mirpur and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the four-day national sporting event, which will feature around 4,000 athletes from all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK, and Islamabad.
The participating students include Faizan, who will compete in the 200-meter race and long jump; Shiraz, who will take part in the 100-meter relay and long jump; Iman Basharat, who will compete in powerlifting; Mubeen, who will participate in the 200-meter race; and Rehan, who will compete in cycling events.
Dr. Ansari said that due to the lack of advanced sports facilities in Mirpur, the children were trained in Kharian to prepare them for national-level competition. He emphasized that despite physical challenges, these students possess remarkable talent, resilience, and determination.
He added that their participation is a matter of pride not only for Mirpur but for the entire Azad Jammu and Kashmir region. He also noted that special children in the region often face limited access to proper training due to infrastructure constraints.
Dr. Ansari further stated that KIAS is developing students’ abilities on a self-help basis without heavy reliance on government support. He highlighted that the institute’s students have previously achieved success in national and international Special Olympics events.
He expressed hope that improved facilities and continued encouragement will enable these children to achieve even greater success in the future.