At the beginning of June, in Bogotá, 27 national and international delegations met and gathered more than 1,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities.
Photo: Compensar
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Between June 1 and 7, the XXV edition of the Fides Special Olympiad – 50 years – compensate was held in Bogotá. The event, with the main headquarters in Av. 68 of Compensar, brought together more than 1,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities, accompanied by 439 coaches and about 3,000 relatives. In total, 27 national and international delegations participated.
The sports day commemorated five decades of work of the FIDES Foundation in favor of inclusion, and was developed around 10 official disciplines: football, basketball, athletics, cycling, bowling, skating, tennis, swimming, gymnastics and riding. To these, five demonstration modalities were added: Capoeira, Softball, Table Tennis, Porras and Table Games.
Colombia was represented by 20 regional delegations, from different areas of the country such as Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bogotá, Cauca, Meta, among others. International delegations from Argentina, Aruba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay also participated.
In total, 3,209 medals were delivered, reflection of the effort, preparation and active participation of athletes.
According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), more than 235,000 people in Colombia live with cognitive disabilities. Many of them still face significant barriers to access training, recreational and sports activities. In that context, spaces such as the FIDES – Compensar Olympiad represent a specific opportunity to make visible and encourage the participation of this population in activities that promote their integral development.
In addition to the physical and emotional impact that sport has, this type of meetings strengthens self -esteem, family networks and the sense of belonging of the participants. This was highlighted by Alejandro Escallón, president of Fides: “Sport gives them voice, trust and a place in the world to people with special abilities. Each competition is also a personal and collective conquest.”
More than 5,000 attendees accompanied this edition of the Olympiad, where it was possible to observe moments of overcoming, mutual support between family teams and celebrations. These gestures show how sport can be an effective tool to promote inclusion and respect for difference.
Compensating, as host of the event, reiterated its commitment to continue creating environments that favor well -being and development for all. In the words of Juan Manuel Rivadeneira, Recreation and Sports Manager of the entity: “The true inclusion is built generating experiences that dignify, inspire and transform.”
The FIDES Olympiad – Compensar 2024 not only celebrated sports talent, but reaffirmed the importance of guaranteeing access to sport as a right for all, contributing to a more just and inclusive society.
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