The first Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition 2024 took place at Tyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi late November 2024.
Aimed at advocating for and empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities, the regional competition featured 80 athletes and over 30 coaches from 12 countries and jurisdictions across Asia Pacific.
Bocce and Bowling are well-suited for older individuals with intellectual disabilities (PWID), particularly those with limited mobility, as these sports combine low-impact activity with the skill and precision of competitive play. With inclusion at the heart of Special Olympics, this competition incorporates modified rules and modified equipment—such as ramps—to accommodate athletes with physical limitations.
One athlete that showcased her talents brilliantly was Andrea Catherine Dundas, a 39-year-old Special Olympics Australia athlete who had previously never been overseas. She keeps her invitation letter under her pillow and says that she “looked at it nightly as she counted down the days to the competition”.
Commenting on the relevance of the event, President of Special Olympics Bharat (India) and Chairperson of the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Advisory Committee Dr. Mallika Nadda, says that “by 2050, one in four people in Asia and the Pacific will be over 60, with the older population nearly tripling to 1.3 billion.
“Events like the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Bocce & Bowling Competition are crucial in ensuring that older PWIDs have ongoing opportunities for engagement, health, and inclusion,” says Dr Nadda.
The Special Olympics Asia Pacific Inclusive Health Summit was held alongside the competition to highlight and promote health equity for PWIDs living in India as part of the Rosemary Collaboratory, a Special Olympics Health advocacy initiative that aims to establish sustainable health system changes through research, policy and practice.
According to SOAP President and MD Dipak Natali, the Health Summit was critical, as PWIDs typically experience significant health inequities compared to the general population. These include significantly higher rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
“Even in an era of heightened awareness around diversity and inclusion, PWIDs continue to face profound disparities, particularly in accessing essential services like healthcare and sporting opportunities. This issue is systemic—most healthcare providers are neither equipped nor trained to meet the unique needs of people with ID, and the lack of accessible sports programs limits their ability to participate in physical activities,” says Dr Natali.
According to Dr Natali, events like the regional competition provide athletes with much-needed opportunities to engage in sports, improve their health, and build their confidence.
“While sports is the starting point, their impact reaches far beyond, fostering skills development, better healthcare, and inclusive education, creating lasting societal change,” says Dr Natali.
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