Tweet
KABUL (PAN): Five years ago, Mallak Mohammad Sabir lost both his legsin a mine explosion near Kabul airport. He spent three years recovering in the United States where he was fitted for prosthetic legs and trained as basketball player and swimmer. Now, he is one of Afghanistan’s top swimmers.
While Sabir faces many of the same challenges other, able bodiedswimmers do – uncovered pools in winter, goggles that leak and swim suits which are not ergonomic -- where he really feels disabled athletes lose out is in the lack of specialised trainers.
“Having a professional trainer for the disabled can be moreeffective, as he can understand our problems and know how to train us better,” he said.
There are 100 disabled athletes registered in 13 different sports with the Para Olympics Federation, set up in 2006 to encourage and promote disabled sports.
Khadem-uddin Allah Yar, director of the Federation, said not only dothey have difficulties finding coaches who understand the unique needs of the disabled athletes, but the equipment they train with is substandard. This often puts the athletes at a disadvantage in international competitions, such as wheelchair basketball.
“Our disabled athletes don’t use the type of wheelchairs that are usedin international competitions,” he said. The more ergonomic wheelchairs that are tailored for athletes are much more comfortable and can get up to speed faster, but cost about $8,000 each, according to Allah Yar.
He said the Federation does not have a budget to hire professionaltrainers or provide modern equipment. However, he does plan to take 10 disabled athletes to Iran to train to be coaches, although he did not give a date.
Jan Alam Hasani, secretary of the National Olympic Committee, said thePara Olympic Federation was set up as a wing of the national committee.
The national committee pays for food and other travel expenses when the disabled athletes competed at home or abroad. The Para Olympic staffs are also paid by the National Olympic Committee, he said.
Sultan Mahmod Nazari is the only coach trained to work with disabledathletes in all 13 sports, although he himself is not disabled. He graduated from Kabul University in 1980 with a degree in physical education and spent 10 days in Iran on a disabled coaching course. He now oversees the training of athletes at the disabled federation on a daily basis.
“There should be a special coach to work with these athletes, someonewith the relevant skills and experience,” he said.
Disabled body builders also say there is a lack of equipment needed to allow them to compete professionally.
Sultan Mahmud Nazari, a disabled bodybuilder, says they need special weight lifting and other benches. The benches should be tailored to the size of the athletes’ shoulders and waists with a foot strap. This makes it easier for the body builders to use all of their strength in a comfortable manner, he says.
Despite the problems, disabled athletes have had some success in international competitions.
Nazer Ahmad Azizi lost his right hand in a mine blast in 1992.
The28-year-old athlete said that before the accident, he used to practice Taekwondo, but after he lost his hand, he turned to a new sport: the shot put.
“I saw the shot put on TV and I got interested in it. I practice without a coach. Every day I practice at the National Olympic committee sports stadium without coach.”
The hard work paid off as in 2006, he came fifth out of 54 athletes in the Asian Games in Malaysia.
Azizi said he also picked up some tips from other athletes while inMalaysia by watching them practice. Because of that experience, he cannow throw the shot put 80 centimetres farther than he could before.
He can throw a 7 kilogram shot put 10 metres and 15 cm.Although disable athletes do not have good facilities, their number is
increasing. The Para Olympic Federation has signed up 100 athletes and every week, another four show up to join.
The 13 sports that the Para Olympic Federation supports are football,volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair races, Ping Pong, archery, shot put, weight lifting, Taekwondo, Judo, swimming and bodybuilding.
Afghan athletes participated in the Olympic Gamess in Athens, Greecein 2004, the Asian Games in Malaysia in 2006 and the Asian Games in China in 2008.
Disabled athletes handicapped by poor facilities, coaching | Pajhwok Afghan News