It is an ever-shocking tragedy that mother Nepal has been torn into pieces both physically and emotionally as a result of the devastating earthquake and its subsequent powerful aftershocks. Much has been damaged to the extent unbelievable, however this black disaster has failed to fail us. We may have fallen down but not yet out. We are physically and emotionally injured, but our spirit is alive with our determination to stitch the broken hearts, to re-work on the shattered dreams, and to move forward with our energy to reconstitute and rebuild our lives, our homes, schools, and the country.
Our recent visit to the SIRC (Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre) in Sanga, and the SOS Children village in Jorpati and our conversation with the spinal-injured wheelchair-bound youth of Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association (NSCISA) inspired us to take relief and rehabilitation packages to the neglected groups of our society who were already victims due to their physically challenged situation, and now have been double victimized due to the devastating earthquake. The Spinal-Injured Wheel-Chair Basketball Program is thus a relief package to help them heal physically as well as emotionally from the earthquake trauma.
The event took place on June 13th, 2015 Saturday in the basket ball court of Bhanimandal, Lalitpur. The programme was sponsored by the German Nepal Friendship Association (GNFA) of Colongue, Germany through the courtesy of its president Ram Pratap Thapa, who is also the Chief Patron of Non Residents Nepalese Association (NRNA). The entire programme was coordinated by Sandhya Regmi, an advisor to Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association.
Besides Sandhya Regmi, the other speakers were Mr. Sudarshan Subedi- president of Nepal Disabled Society, Sanjay Bantawa-artist, and board members of NSISA -Ms. Gayatri Dahal, Kishore Shahi, and Rishi Ram Dhakal. There were in total 52 wheel-chair players consisting of the team of Jawalakhel, Jorpati, Chabahil, Nepal Army, Jorpati female group ‘A’ and Jorpati female group ‘B’. Present were also 13 volunteers, 6 coaches, and hundreds of spectator- both Nepalese and foreigners. Swami Ananda Arun of Osho Tapoban was the chief guest of the ceremony.
They all played marvelously, and many won the awards. Mr. Narayan Dawadi and Raju Katwal of Nepal Army won “Men of the Match”. Hemkala Sunuwar, Laxmi Ghimire and Sonika Dhakal of Jorpati Female Group’ were declared ‘Women of the Match”. Furthermore, other female players— Laxmi Kunwar, Radika Dhital, Devi Aharya, Nanda Sunuwar, Jenisha Kadayat, Bimala Tamang, Juna Shahi, Rajani Rai and Lali Sherp—too played excellent.
A two way transportation was provided to all the players in reserved buses. Breakfast, buffet lunch, and mineral water were served to all the participants and the attendees. Certificate of participation and medals were distributed to all the players and trophies to the winners.
(NSCISA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by a group of young and energetic persons with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). NSCISA is the pioneer organization to organize wheelchair sports for the people with SCI in Nepal and to involve PWDs (persons with disability) actively in sports. Their usual sports are Wheelchair Basketball, table tennis, swimming, Chess, Athletics and wheelchair cricket. All the board members of NSCISA are wheelchair users. NSCISA believes in sports as an effective tool to raise awareness and help persons with disability to become independent.)