THEY DON'T LAG BEHIND: Children with vision and speech impairment participating in a sports meet in Mysore.

MYSORE: It was an athletic meet with a difference. For, the participants were "children of a lesser god" suffering from visual and speech impairment.

But, undeterred by their handicap, the athletes, ranging from five-year-old children to 20-year-old youths, put their best foot forward to excel in the track and field events organised by Rotary Mysore Midtown at Oval Grounds here on Sunday to celebrate September as "the Month of the Youth."

A total of 270 participants — 110 with visual impairment and 160 with speech disability — put their heart and soul into the 100-m sprint, long jump, "standing long jump," frog jump, javelin throw, shot put and musical chair events.

Different rules

The rules of Sunday's meet were different.

The running race for visually challenged participants began with the blow of a whistle as usual, but they had to find their way to the finishing line listening to music played at end of the 100 m track.

For the participants suffering from hearing disability, the race began with a sign.

"A coordinator waved a flag to signal the start of the race," Rotary Mysore Midtown's Director for Youth Services D.S.D. Solanki said.

A single attempt

Unlike the three attempts taken into consideration during a regular shot-put event, the disabled participants were given only one attempt.

"A total of 55 events were organised during the athletic meet. The participants were divided into categories based on their age. While children below seven years of age were put in one group, those of other ages were categorised as sub-junior, junior, and senior. The elder students of National Academy for Blind (NAB), who were above 18 years, came under a different group," Mr. Solanki said.

The athletic meet evoked unprecedented response from various schools for children suffering from visual and speech impairment in the city.

The Government School for the Blind in Tilaknagar, NAB Industrial Training Centre for Blind and Deaf, Sai Ranga Vidya Samsthe for Deaf Boys, Ranga Rao Residential School for Blind Girls, Mercy Convent and Putta Veeramma Residential School for Deaf Girls participated in the events.

`It was hard work'

Managing the athletic meet, which had a different set of rules, was as much a challenge for the organisers as it was for the participants, president of Rotary Mysore Midtown M. Azeezulla said.

Students from the Department of Studies in Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Mysore; Rotaract members, NCC cadets from Mahajana First Grade College, and Interactors from Mysore Public School extended a helping hand to organise the event.

Vice-Chancellor of Mysore University J. Shashidhar inaugurated the meet by releasing balloons. Senior Manager of Canara Bank, Regional Office, Mysore, S.T. Ramachandra was the chief guest on the occasion.

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