Two differently abled youths Hamid Ali and Shamim have been selected to represent India in the ninth International Abilympics to be held in Bordeaux (France) from March 22 to 27.

Ali will take part in bicycle assembling and Shamim in tailoring.

The competition promotes disabled people's professional expertise and the concept was developed in Japan in 1972. The International Abilympics Federation is managed by the Japan Organisation for Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers.

The duo will undergo a 10-day training in Delhi under the National Abilympics Association of India before flying to Bordeaux. Twenty-seven participants will represent India in different competitions such as photography, oil and watercolour painting, embroidery, furniture making and others at the Abilympics.

In India, a national abilympics is organised for 37 fields.

"I will have to assemble a nine-gear bicycle used by cyclists in a races in four-and-a-half hours," said Hamid (35). "The organisers will provide us with the parts."

"I can stitch long coats," said Shamim (25). "The organisers will give us the textile and other equipments. I will have to cut, stitch and finish the coat in six hours."

The duo have represented India in the eighth version of the International Abilympics hosted by South Korea in 2011. Both have won gold in the third and fourth editions of the national tournament held at Jabalpur and Chandigarh, respectively. Hamid is also a recipient of the state government's Khel Samman in 2010, 2011 and 2014.

"We have been selected after winning tournaments at the district, state and national levels," said Hamid.

The NAAI has submitted its budget for the tour to the Union social empowerment ministry. The ministry has assured the sanction of 75 per cent of the total budget, while the participant will have to bear the rest of the expense. Farasat Hussain, an orthopaedic surgeon in Gaya, who also held the post of the national president of Indian Association of Sports Medicine from 2008 to 2011, has extended financial support to Hamid and Shamim keeping in mind their deplorable economic condition.

Hussain and his wife, M.N. Anjum, a professor of English at Magadh University, have been extending support to differentially abled individuals of Gaya including Hamid, Shamim and others to participate in different events.

Income tax deputy commissioner Saurav Rai and a French national Jene Pere, who is doing social work in Bodhgaya, also extended their best wishes to the duo.

The first International Abilympics was organised in 1981 in Japan.