& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Another noble gesture

Staff Correspondent
After the successful ending of the first regional talent hunt programme for the country's intellectually challenged athletes, Grameenphone, in partnership with Special Olympics Bangladesh, is organising a second such regional programme in Chittagongdivision.
The second round will be held at Chittagong BKSP training centre over April 1-4 where athletes from 22 special schools and organisations of intellectually disabled will participate.
This was announced at a press briefing at the Grameenphone head office at Gulshan in the city yesterday.
The objective of the talent hunt is to form a national talent pool of intellectually disabled athletes and to empower them by nurturing and nourishing their sporting capabilities, said the organisers.
They also said once finalised, the national talent pool will be further groomed, nurtured and prepared for the next Special Olympics, the largest sports competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, scheduled to beheld inAthensin2011.
It is expected that 150 athletes will be participating in the talent hunt in Chittagong under the guidance of specially trained coaches.
Dr Shamim Matin Chowdhury, chairman of Special Olympics Bangladesh, said about 30 athletes out of 162 of nine special schools in
Rajshahi division were selected for the Special Olympics from the first regional talent hunt that was held in November last year.
"A 47-member team of Special Olympics Bangladesh with the sponsorship of Grameenphone participated in the Special Olympics Summer Games 2007 in China and won 71 medals including 32 gold medals showing their outstanding performances,” she said.
The intellectually challenged athletes of Bangladesh made the country proud in the 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 Special Olympics World Games, she said adding that, "We were unbeaten champions in cricket in 2007 games."
By taking part in the games the children with disabilities get all sorts of development including intellectual, she said adding that, "They can do; give them the opportunity."
Thanking Grameenphone for their support, Shamim stressed the need for creating more opportunities for the intellectually challenged athletes so that they can get involved in the sporting activities.
Rubaba Dowla, Chief Communications Officer of Grameenphone, said about three per cent of the total population are reportedly intellectually challenged and they are deprived of social rights.
"Apart from social responsibilities, it is also our individual responsibility to bring the talents to a platform so that they can also contribute to Another noble
FROM PAGE 17
the development of the national economy, ’ she said.
She also said the talent hunt will be extended to other divisions as well to find out the talented athletes from the all over the country and give them proper training and grooming for the Special Olympics.
"These initiatives are being taken to empower the country people," Rubaba said adding that, "the special Olympics is not only a sport or competition rather it is an opportunity to empowering them as well as increasing their confidence and skills."
The selected athletes of Bangladesh will participate in seven disciplines — athletics, badminton, bocce, football, table tennis, swimming and cricket.
Ashraf-ud Dowla. founder chairman of Special Olympics Bangladesh and Shuvashish Priya Barua, head of CSR Grameenphon