IIT-Madras hosts sports carnival for persons with disabilities – The Hindu

It was a first-of-its-kind Sunday for many participants who congregated at the IIT-Madras and try playing a sport. In an initiative to enable persons with disabilities to play sports, the TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at the IIT-Madras hosted ‘Sports 4 All’, a sports carnival through the new Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Centre for Assistive Health Technology (NCAHT).

The carnival aimed to introduce sports and games to persons with disabilities, as well as introduce assistive devices in the field of sports and games to them. Stalls were set up for 12 sports, including wheelchair basketball, cricket, rifle shooting, wheelchair racing, wheelchair tennis, badminton, powerlifting and board games which had adaptive equipment for the participants to try out.

“The participants, which included persons with disabilities, their caregivers as well as the general public were divided into groups and given 30 minutes to spend at each stall. Many of them were trying out these sports for the first time, and it was a learning and fun experience,” said Justin Jesudas, head of operations, R2D2.

Mr. Jesudas said going forward, they hoped for the participants to be able to speak to either their physical education teachers or community members about fostering an inclusive environment for sports. For Ganesh Murugan, a resident of Korattur, the event brought about a sense of togetherness while initiating a conversation about inclusion.

G. Poornachandran, a wheelchair basketball player, said the carnival gave him the opportunity to be introduced to other sports. “Wheelchair racing and rifle shooting are otherwise very expensive, and one never gets an opportunity to try playing,” he said.

Stating that Inclusion is one of the fundamental agendas of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT-Madras, said inclusive gross motor activities and sports provided opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in fitness activities which would help improve physical and mental health.

“To ensure the world is accessible and equitable, it is crucial for governments, educational entities, private and public sectors to collaboratively find transformative solutions for and with persons with disabilities in every walk of life,” said Sujatha Srinivasan, professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and head, R2D2 and NCAHT, IIT-Madras.