1st Bali ParaGames- Bringing change

Refections on the 1st Bali paraGames 

Paul Kelly, the famed, talented, enduring and quiet Australian singer song writer has written perhaps the most famous words that capture how the genesis of an idea can become a reality. He penned: From little things, big things grow.

He was reflecting on Indigenous human rights in Australia, and how a humble man, ageing Vincent Lingiari stood up for his peoples land rights, and triggered a movement that gained and gained motion and emotion. A wrong had to be righted, for a society to call itself fair.

 

We should be judged on how we treat the most disadvantaged. Human rights by their by their very nature should be universal – such as the Convention of the Rights of the Disabled, which at article 30 lays down a right of the disabled, as part of being fully integrated into society, to participate in sport and recreation. Last year the London Paralympics drew huge and enthusiastic crowds. Last weekend Bali held the inaugural ParaGames.

The Bali ParaGames drew inspiration from Kelly’s words, but also from those of Balinese and Indonesian London 2012 Paralympian, Ni Nengah Widiasih, who said in November 2012 in the Jakarta Post: “Paralympians don’t attract the same attention as other athletes. It shouldn’t be so. Nobody asked to be disabled. We train just as hard to achieve excellence on top of having a handicap.”
Held between Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 July 2013 the inaugural Bali Paragames was held at two venues – as Bali International School (BIS) and at Kompyanag Surjana field in Denpasar. Over 300 athletes, from every Bali regency competed in 7 events.

Competition was held in 7 events: Chess (including blind chess), Wheelchair basketball,Swimming, Power lifting, Badminton, Table Tennis,Blind soccer and Athletics. Competitor were classified in the 4 categories traditionally used in Bali – Tuna Netra (Blind), Tuna Rungu (Deaf and Mute). Tuna Grahita (Amputee) and Tuna Daksa (Down Syndrome). Where possible, abled bodied competitors were welcomed to play, such as wearing a mask to play blind soccer or strapping themselves into a wheelchair to play basketball.
Some highlights included blind Anak Agung Oka Sudiarti from Denpasar defeating Singaporian chess master, Alphonsus Chia and following it by winning the Gold medal in the Blind Chess tournament; in swimming Kadek Dedi from Klung kungand Ketut Sumita from Badung showed real representative potential, wining between them 10 medals and showing definite representative class. But our highlight was the final demonstration event – wheelchair basketball game between the disabled and the able bodied. A crowd of over 100 cheered the disabled team to a cliff-hanger victory. The game was tough but fair, and some really talent was identified by the visiting Singapore Wheelchair Association President PT Lim and his team of coaches including Jack Lee,Singaporian paralympian, in some of the Balinese players who have been involved in the sport for less than a month.

It is expect from the success of the games and with the support of the Singapore Wheelchair Basketball Association, that a local competition with 4 teams will commence very soon.

 

Deserving of special recognition were the Bali Paragames’ Ambassadors – Nengah, who represented Indonesia at the London Paralympics in 2012 in power lifting, and Australian 5 time Paralympian and blind swimmer KingsleyBurgarin (OAM). Kingsley was on hand to assist with holding the swimming events and was greatly impressed with the talent of some swimmers who look to have representative potential with specialist coaching. Nengah took the oath of behalf of all competitors, and showed those just how powerful she is – capable of lifting almost three times her body weight to set an Asian record.

Bali ParaGames founder Rodney Holt reflected “BSF would like to thank our fantastic sponsors and volunteers who helped turn an idea into an event. The Bali ParaGames’ major sponsor was the Annika Linden Centre, part of Inspirasia, our other sponsors were Mitrais, Earthline, Asian Mining, Kristal Hotel, Commodities and Energy Resources, Coaltrans Conferences (who have supported BSF from their inception), TongTeik, , RJHgroup, Stiff Chilli and BIS (who generously provided the venue for 6 sports), our medical partner, BIMC, and our media partner, Bali Advertiser & Bali Sports Mag. Finally I would like to thank the Bali branch of the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) and Yakkum,YPK and Yayasan Senang Hati for their valuable contribution to the ParaGames.”

As BSF volunteer Seth Richardson reminded us “Please embrace the concept of ‘Access Bali’ and ensure that you make steps, no matter how small, to welcome the disabled fully into society.We look towards the 2014 Games. Let the planning begin! So please stay in touch via our ParaGames website: http://www.baliparagames.com/And don’t be shy to contact BSF if you want to get involved.”