Medvedja – A meeting with the representatives of the Sports Club "Arena" from Leskovac was held yesterday in the office of the President of the Municipality of Medvedja.

Zoran Stankovic, the coach of the men's team of the sports club "Arena", and Tanja Cvetkovic, who coaches and runs the women's part of the club, pointed out that they would like to include children and youth with disabilities from Medvedja in sports.

The goal of our association, which has existed for 12 years, is to work together on influencing people's consciousness  to break down the prejudices that accompany people with disabilities, while sport is one of the best inclusive systems we can implement",  coach Zoran Stankovic said.

Nebojsa Arsic, the President of the Municipality of Medvedja, expressed willingness to provide assistance to persons from the association with special needs "The Heart for Children" from Medvedja, so that they could get involved and possibly participate in this year's Olympics, which would be held depending on the situation and the measures in force.

“Such events are important because they are one of the ways of including persons with disabilities in society. It is not necessary to repeat that we are all the same and that we all have the same needs, but it is necessary for those needs to be adjusted to people with disabilities in physical or mental development", Mr. Arsic said.  

The Special Olympics started operating in 2002 as a sports association that enabled people with special needs to better integrate within society through sports and sports activities. Then, work began on Unified Sports projects, which are of multiple importance for young people with special needs, as well as for those from the regular population.

In 2004, there was a need to form the first clubs for children and youth with special needs, and the Special Olympics of Serbia got its first members, who together form the Association that brings together sports clubs for people with intellectual disabilities. Sports club "Arena" from Leskovac has been a member of the Federation since 2008, and has won a large number of medals and medals at the Special Olympics competitions, which are held around the world.

Source: Radio Medvedja and Coordination Body