Recently I was reading an in-flight magazine of an international airline that flies to Nepal and I found an interesting advertisement from BP, the global oil firm.
Instead of highlighting its operations or products on the market, the ads was focused on a sport champion from tracks & field athletics who will soon compete in the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics Games, running from the 7th to 18th of September.
Sports for persons with disabilities are growing exponentially worldwide and the upcoming Paralympics Games in Rio will feature thousands of athletes competing for medals in 528 events.
In Nepal there is still so much that should be done to develop inclusive sports practices considering the struggles faced by mainstream sports due to lack of support and inexistent long term planning.
Yet there are also some stories who can offer a glimpse of hope for the future. For example the Turkish Airlines ENGAGE Empowering League, the first ever wheelchair basketball championship organized in the country. The League brought together several partners including Turkish Airlines, the Embassy of Switzerland, the Ministry of Youths and Sports and many other corporate players. Though its organization was challenging, at the end it was a real success.
This is not the only example. Actually Nepal boasts a real social entrepreneur in the field of inclusive sports in the person of Major Pawan Ghimire, a Nepali Army officer who became visually impaired during the war.
The disability gave Pawan a new strength and the vision to become a trailblazer in inclusive sports. His passion for cricket motivated him to create a national blind cricket program that every year organizes national championship for both female and male teams.
I have been knowing Pawan since many years and his commitment for the cause is unparallel, a truly example of dedication and personal sacrifice. In all these years, the Cricket Association of Nepal, CAB, founded by Pawan has achieved quite a lot, including participating in international events, proudly showcasing that a least developed country like Nepal can excel and compete internationally with big developed nations when we talk about sports.
Pawan is also a promoter of the idea to set up an Inclusive Sports Network in the country, bringing together all the different organizations involved in promoting sports for persons living with disabilities.
The idea of the network is all about promoting collaborations and set new partnerships among the still two existing Paralympics Committees, NGOs and INGOs, starting at least sharing information among stakeholders and formulate common positions towards the Government.
Pawan knows the system and he is trying his best to reform it from the bottom, an attempt that should deserve praise and all possible support.
At the same time CAB is willing to break some new records by winning the T-20 World Cup Cricket for the Blind 2017 that will be played in India from 28th of January to 12th of February with ten nations participating.
Unfortunately CAB’s participation at the competition is not given for granted, at least not yet.
While CAB receives some indispensible support from the National Sport Council, this is not enough to compete in the World Cup.
Pawan is looking for a local corporate sponsor to support the national team in its attempt to win the Cup.
Nepal does not have any huge conglomerate like BP yet there are quite a few corporate houses that have means to undertake an innovative corporate sponsorship to support CAB in the long run.
Assumed the funding will be made available, maybe Nepal won’t win this upcoming edition but this could be seen as a starting point to reach new ambitious goals in the next five years.
No one should be surprised that United Kingdom did so good at the recent Olympic Game: the stunning amount of medals (they were second only to the United States) is the result of a long term strategy that invested resources where there were the highest chances of win.
Blind cricket and wheelchair basketball are “niches” but these are the sports where Nepal is laying ground for incredible successes in the future.
A grassroots movement of incredible athletes already exists and is vigorous. There is just the need of more cooperation and support. Inclusive sports are as fun and as competitive as other mainstream sports. Sports can only grow if the private sector fully understands its role is indispensible to reach the highest levels.
When we talk about more a more inclusive country, we can think of what Pawan has did so far to create a better playing level field for persons living with disabilities through sports. What a remarkable achievement that went almost unnoticed.
Cricket is very popular sports in Nepal and the World Cup will be played in a neighboring country that is easy to reach.
CAB is looking for resources to ensure a good technical preparation for its team. This is the right opportunity for corporate houses to step in strategically and long term to support Pawan and the movement he helped to create.
The World Cup motto is “Beat the Ordinary”. If you think well, there is nothing that extraordinary to ensure Nepal participation in the Blind Cricket World Cup, just a good dose of patriotism, ability to partner innovatively and some business acumen because inclusive sports can help your marketing.
Galimberti is the Co-Founder of ENGAGE, an empowering agency in partnership with persons with disabilities simone_engage@yahoo.com
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