By RENALDO DORSETT
Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
WHILE the general public will have to wait until tonight to see both the Bahamas and US national teams on the pitch, members of the local Special Olympics soccer programme got the jump on the action.
Dozens of Special Olympics players participated in a clinic at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium yesterday, facilitated by both teams in conjunction with the Bahamas Football Association and the US Embassy.
US Charge d’Affaires Lisa Johnson commended the team for their efforts for embodying the Special Olympics movement.
“I’m really glad both teams took time out from their busy practice schedules today to come and share through the sport of soccer, an important message about friendship and inclusion,” she said.
“Passion for sports is universal, it transcends linguistic and socio cultural differences. Sports allows for full participation regardless of intellectual and physical ability. Participation in sports teaches leadership, comma skills which are skills young people will use throughout their lives. So the power of sports is real and these teams out here in partnership with Special Olympics are doing great work to promote that message.”
A self professed soccer fan, Johnson was presented with jerseys from both sides and said she was torn between which team to root for in the match tonight.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said the message of inclusion and breaking down barriers of discrimination is the goal of the clinic and the Special Olympics movements.
“It is so important and so near to many of our hearts to be able to include the athletes from the Special Olympics into this programme. I’ve watched at the last few weeks at the Commonwealth Games how this interaction should be. At the Olympics, they have the Olympics first, then a couple weeks later they have the Special Oympics and I have always wondered why they did not have everybody compete at the same time in a packed stadium and at the Commonwealth Games they did just that,” he said.
“Although we are a small country only 41 years of independence, we are discussing still, the removal of all forms of discrimination and the Glasgow Games really displayed that. If sports is the great equaliser it is imperative that we can compete together.”
The Bahamas will face the US men’s Olympic soccer team in an international friendly 8pm tonight at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium.
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