Hyderabad  :

Roller-skating, for 15-year-old Shams-ul-Haq, a differently-abled boy from Asif Nagar, is more than a passion. It is an obsession. As it turns out, hours of gruelling practice and patience in the rink for over a year has paid off as he has been selected to represent the country at the Special Olympics (SO) to be held in Los Angeles later this month.

The son of an Arabic teacher at a madrassa close to his home, Shams who cannot hear and speak, communicates using sign language. Beaming and with a gesture of his right hand, symbolising an airplane taking off, he says that he is going to fly to foreign locales. His father, Abdul Haq, explains, “He is leaving for Los Angeles on July 25 to compete at the Special Olympics. The competition is expected to continue till the first week of August. He is the only person who has been selected to represent India and this is a result of his determination.”

When asked how long he has been roller-skating, Haq, who is also border-line intellectually disabled, reads lips intently. He gestures with clenched fists, moving them back and forth as he simultaneously slides his feet. It is as if he wants to be certain about the question. He then raises his hand, holds up three fingers, a boisterous smile plastered across his face. “He has been interested in skating even since he was just three. He liked to play cricket but chanced upon skates and there has been no looking back. He won a state level competition in 2013 and a national competition a year later. This not only encouraged him but us too. Now he trains at the skating rink in Indira Park,” his father elaborates. Shams, a student of Greens Special School in Humayun Nagar, trains for four hours a day.

He follows a strict diet comprising nuts and low fat food.

His coach, Mohammed Noor, says that motivation is key to winning the competition is Los Angeles. But cheering for him hoarse throughout the race will not help him as he cannot hear. “The trick is to observe him keenly and soon as he makes eye contact his supporters must jump and wave arms wildly. On account of his disability, unless he sees, not hears, cheering will not be motivational for him,” Noor explains. He has also been coached to observe his competitors movements so that he can make a dash for the finish line as he cannot hear the sound of the whistle or gunshot declaring the race has begun.

Ayesha Rubina, head of the special school, says that differently-abled people should be self-sufficient. This can be achieved by giving them a degree of independence. “In Shams’ case, his parents couldn’t afford to be protective, unlike those from affluent families. This has helped him. He moves around with regular people and does his best to do whatever he can,” Rubina says.

And, what after Special Olympics? Shams picks up his skates and with a movement of the hand says it all. He wants to train others in his favourite sport.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Mohammed, TNN / July 17th, 2015