Turkey to send athletes with intellectual disabilities: Special Olympics Summer Games 2011
Procter and Gamble, the sponsor of the Turkish Special Olympics team held a press conference on Friday in which the team’s program for the current year was announced.
The team consists of athletes that have intellectual disabilities. All of these athletes will take part in the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2011. The Turkish team is scheduled to visit the Athens in the later part of this month. The team goes abroad
in order to enhance its sports capabilities twice every year.
According to Hayrunnisa Aligil, the External Relations Associate Director of P&G, the Special Olympics is an opportunity for the people with intellectual disabilities to live life to the fullest by making use of the physical abilities that they possess.
Procter and Gamble has been associated with disabled athletes for about seven years now.
It is since the year 2004 that the Turkish special athletes have been participating in the Special Olympic Games. To a large part, the credit for making the Turkish special athletes what they are today goes to Dilek Sabanci, a businesswoman. Sabanci was
responsible for having created TOSSED, the Turkish Special Athletes Association. Sabanci contributed to the press conference by sending in a written message in which she stated that TOSSED is interested in bringing fulfillment in the lives of disabled athletes
who have intellectual disabilities. The association aims to do this by involving these athletes in sports activities. Not only that, TOSSED is also interested in increasing the motivation level of the disabled athletes by encouraging them in whatever sport
they choose to participate in.
The CEO for Procter and Gamble in Turkey, Saffet Karpat, made the following comments about Special Olympics and its beneficial aspects in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities: “It is not only about promoting special athletes, but also contributing
to their families and lives. It is a beautiful example of fair play. It is very important to help them gain self-confidence and included them in [social] life.”
The special athletes of Turkey have the honour of being a part of seven Special Olympics events up till now. This time around, Turkey will be sending 106 of its special athletes.
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