Students with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities took centre stage at the nineteenth inter-house sports competition organised by the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria at the Campos Memorial Mini Stadium.
The event brought together students, parents, teachers and supporters in a celebration of sportsmanship while renewing calls for greater social inclusion and support for persons living with disabilities.
President of the foundation, Rose Mordi, said the annual sports competition is designed to promote inclusion and provide participants with a strong sense of belonging.
Mordi explained that many individuals with Down syndrome had previously faced years of exclusion but noted that the foundation continues to create opportunities that help integrate them into society.
Also speaking, the Parent-Teacher Association Chairman, Oluwabunmi Sosina, said the event boosts the confidence of the children and reminds them that they are valued members of society.
Sosina called on government authorities to provide more support for families of persons with disabilities and to promote greater inclusion in education, healthcare and employment opportunities.
The sports competition featured a variety of activities including fifty-metre races for tiny-tots, walking races, egg races, sack races, blindfold contests and invitation relay races involving students from both special and regular schools.