Page 10 - Sportability

INAUGURAL

ADDRESS

Dr Vijay Datta

t is with great joy and privilege that I welcome you all Pant, she proposed a program she had already mapped
to this seminar on ‘Inclusion: Empowering Diverse out and I enthusiastically agreed. Thus, Sportability
IAbilities through Sports’. We are honoured to have was born.
among us this morning Mr Amitabh Kant, former CEO
of NITI Aayog and G20 Sherpa, as our Chief Guest, and From its launch nearly two years ago, the program has
Dr Satyapal Singh, the youngest Dronacharya Awardee, met with widespread acclaim, receiving extensive media
as our Guest of Honour. I also extend a warm welcome coverage. Our journey began with great momentum
to the Members of the Board of Trustees, esteemed and since then, we have seen remarkable progress. The
guests, ladies and gentlemen, and all the students Creative Wing of the school has actively participated
present here today. It is truly a delight to be part of this and Umoya Sports has also significantly contributed to
momentous occasion that celebrates inclusivity, a value the program.
we wholeheartedly embrace.
A noteworthy example of Sportability’s success is in
From its inception, our School has been deeply swimming, where Mr Naresh Sachdeva has trained
committed to inclusivity, integrating kindness and children with special needs. The program has instilled
compassion into the very fabric of our ethos. I have incredible confidence in these individuals, transforming
observed that in smaller towns, there exists a stronger their abilities in ways that are truly inspiring. For
sense of trust and connection between individuals, instance, we witnessed a blind gentleman who initially
something that larger cities sometimes lack. In smaller did not know how to swim, but through the program,
communities, if someone is asked for assistance or a lift, gained the confidence to dive head first into the water.
they are more likely to respond with kindness, readily
offering help. This level of compassion is something we The program has also had a profound impact on
strive to foster within our school community. visually impaired girls, who now recognize and respond
to greetings from a distance. This transformation
In an era where technology and Artificial Intelligence is a testament to the power of empathy and the
dominate, I believe that initiatives like Sportability are enhancement of emotional intelligence. For three
essential. Our Chief Guest, Mr Amitabh Kant inquired decades, educators have pondered how to cultivate
about the origin of Sportability. I shared that it all empathy. Through Sportability, we have successfully
began at a CBSE meeting, on the need for a specialized demonstrated that empathy can indeed be nurtured,
physical education curriculum for students with leading to the enhancement of Emotional Quotient
special needs, which I discussed with Ma’am Ambika among our students.

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