Youth activation committee members of St Dominic Savio’s High School (wearing black caps) with differently abled children at the unified sports meet in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Twenty-four students of St Dominic Savio’s High School and four children from non-government organisation (NGO) Samarpan on Tuesday played different games on the institution’s campus.

This, however, was not just any sports event, but was part of the Unified Sports Meet organised by the Bihar Chapter of Special Olympics Bharat.

The state chapter formed a youth activation committee at St Dominic Savio’s High School. Twenty-four students from classes VIII-X and Class XII were chosen its members.

The Telegraph had reported on May 1 about the state chapter of Special Olympics Bharat’s initiative of forming youth activation committees in different schools to bring differently abled children to the mainstream.

“We acquainted the members of the school’s (St Dominic Savio’s) youth activation committee with the games they can play with differently abled children, which help to develop the mental abilities of the differently abled children, including bocce, Simon says, counting the number and passing the hoop,” said Sandeep Kumar, the sports trainer at Bihar Chapter of Special Olympics Bharat.

He added that the games for Tuesday’s sports meet were selected keeping in the mind the ability of the differently abled children. “The children who came from Samarpan were all intellectually disabled. They are slow learners. So we chose those games that help increase their learning abilities.”

Elaborating on Simon says, Sandeep said: “Three or more people can play the game where one player takes the role of Simon and issues instructions (usually physical actions like jumping in the air) to the other players, who have to obey a command starting with ‘Simon says’. But the players are not supposed to follow an order when the instructor does not start with ‘Simon says’. Anyone who breaks one of the two rules is eliminated. This game helps differently abled children improve their self-control.”

Youth activation committee members of St Dominic Savio’s High School were more than happy to take part in the sports meet. Class X student Shashi Ranjan Singh said: “I had a lot of fun playing with the differently abled children today (Tuesday). The youth activation committee has been formed to bring differently abled children to the mainstream. I am happy to be a part of this mission.”