"Virtual Olympics" With Disabled Children In Hungary
- 23 Apr 2012 9:00 AM
On 18 April the British Embassy in Budapest, Semmelweis University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences and Virtual Sport Association organised Virtual Olympics in the Athletic Hall of the Faculty of Physical Education. The aim of the competition was to raise awareness of the equal importance of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and to give opportunity for disabled children to do sports together with their healthy mates.
The Virtual Olympic event was organised in the the spirit of integration: disabled and healthy children competed in different Olympic sports (boxing, tennis, fencing, kayaking, swimming) with the help of a special video game console. Several matches were commented live by the commentator of Eurosport, official broadcaster of the London 2012 games.
The event was opened by British Ambassador Jonathan Knott, then Pál Szekeres, Deputy Sate Secretary for Sports – and Olympic Bronze Medalist and multiple Paralympic Champion in fencing – talked about his Olympic and Paralympic experiences.
President of the Hungarian Paralympic Committee, Zsolt Gömöri, Olympic Champion waterpolo player Zoltán Kósz, two-time Paralympic Champion swimmer Dóra Pásztory and two-time Olympic Silver Medalist swimmer Károly Güttler also attended the Virtual Olympic event.
Apart from the official competition, interesting exhibition matches took place at the event: Pál Szekeres played fencing against Zsolt Gömöri, Jonathan Knott played a short tennis match with Zoltán Kósz and Dóra Pásztory competed against Károly Güttler in table tennis.
The following institutions entered for competition:
Városmajori Gimnázium és Kós Károly Általános Iskola (Budapest)
Fekete István Általános Iskola és Konduktív Pedagógiai Csoport (Szeged)
MEREK és Addetur Alapítványi Gimnasztika és Szakképző Iskola (Budapest)
Gennaro Verolino Általános Iskola, Speciális Szakiskola (Budapest)
Dr. Török B. Általános Iskola, Módszertani Intézet (Budapest)
Szinesvilág Református Fejlesztő Napközi Otthon (Budapest)
Kerek Erdei Sport és Szabadidő Egyesület (Sopron)
Pető Intézet Konduktív Általános Iskola (Budapest)
Dunakanyar Erdei Általános Iskola (Visegrád)
The winner of the Virtual Olympics was Kerek Erdei Sport és Szabadidő Egyesület from Sopron with mainly mentally challenged children in their team.
The team of Dunakanyar Erdei Általános Iskola from Visegrád won second place and one of the teams from Gennaro Verolino Általános Iskola came in third.
Congratulations to the winners and to all participants.
Source: British Embassy Budapest
LATEST NEWS IN sport