Football for all at Special Olympics South-east Asian Unified 5-a-side tournament
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Athletes with and without intellectual disabilities will participate in the two-day tournament.
PHOTO: SPECIAL OLYMPICS SINGAPORE/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE - The Special Olympics South-east Asia Unified 5-a-side Football Tournament kicked off in Singapore again on Saturday (Dec 7) at Yio Chu Kang Stadium after seven years and will feature close to 140 participants from seven countries in the region.
Athletes with and without intellectual disabilities will participate in the two-day tournament, which is hosted by Special Olympics Singapore and supported by Micron Foundation and the FWD Insurance Group.
Some of the competitors are from The Special Olympics Singapore's Outreach Sports Programme, which aims to gives graduates from the programme a chance at sport.
Guest of honour Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said: "Sport has the power to bring people of all abilities together.
"With support from corporate and community partners such as Special Olympics Singapore, we can provide more opportunities for persons with and without special needs to train and compete alongside one another as equals.
"Let's continue to build a more inclusive society through sport."
Dipak Natali, acting president and managing director of Special Olympics Asia Pacific, added: "There is no doubting the power of the beautiful game to elevate and unite.
"As we see time and time again around the world, football has the power to break down barriers, bring people together and celebrate the joy of competitive play like very few other sports.
"I look forward to an amazing display of skill and strength by our sportsmen and women with and without intellectual disabilities, as they inspire us and each other with their ability to constantly push themselves to greater heights."
