By Rosli Mansor Ahmad Razali
IPOH: A total of 400 special needs athletes aged between eight and 16 from across Perak, along with several invited contingents from other states, took part in the Perak Open Special Olympics ID Athletics Championship 2026 held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Gunung Rapat here today.
The championship was not merely an athletics competition but also served as a platform for students and athletes with intellectual disabilities to showcase their potential, build self-confidence and prove that every individual can succeed when given equal opportunities.
Perak State Education Department Senior Assistant Director of the Special Education Sector, Eni Zanifah Mohd Jaberi, said the championship was in line with the Ministry of Education’s aspirations to nurture balanced individuals through physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and social development.
She said participation in sports activities not only improves the physical fitness of students with special educational needs but also instils values such as discipline, courage, sportsmanship, teamwork and resilience.
“These values are essential in shaping individuals who are more independent and capable of contributing to society.
“Events such as this also provide opportunities for students with special educational needs to develop holistically and achieve their fullest potential,” she said when officiating the championship.
She added that the implementation of the divisioning system ensures that athletes compete according to their respective abilities, creating a fair and meaningful competition in line with the spirit of inclusive education.
Also present was organising committee chairman Datuk Mohd Odzman Abd Kadir.
Eni Zanifah expressed hope that the championship would serve as a platform for discovering new talent capable of representing Perak and Malaysia at higher levels of competition.
“Winning is not the ultimate measure of success. What matters more is the courage to try and the determination to keep striving for improvement.
“‘Let Me Win. But if I Cannot Win, Let Me Be Brave In The Attempt,'” she said, repeating the official Special Olympics motto.
The championship was organised in collaboration with Persatuan Penggerak Rekreasi Sejahtera Ipoh, Perak Community Specialist Hospital (PCSH) and the Perak Special Olympics Association.
