Indeed it is unacceptable that in a country like Nepal, with so many high performance athletes with disabilities, there is always a ridiculously low number of them having the chance to compete at the highest levels internationally. This must change, and the Army's generals can help in this
Over the past weekend, the Invictus Games have started, and once again Nepal is missing this great opportunity to showcase the remarkable athletic skills of its veterans.
The Invictus Games started out of an idea of Prince Henry of the British Royal House to celebrate and honour the sacrifice of many soldiers around the world who fell injured during their duty.
"The Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women."
This is indeed a powerful mission, and it is a great thing to have periodic games centered on those who experienced "life changing injuries, some visible or otherwise" while serving their countries.
The current edition, being hosted by the Netherlands, was supposed to be held in 2020 but got postponed due to COVID-19 while the next one will be held next year in Dusseldorf, Germany.
In The Hague, the official seat of the Dutch Government and where the games are being held, there are over 500 competitors from 20 nations playing in a variety of adaptive sports.
So far, the games have been hosted by some of the most global and international cities in the world, starting with London, which in 2014 was the first venue of the initiative.
It was followed by Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, and all these cities were able to garner visibility and admiration around the world because of their support to the Invictus Games.
The word Invictus comes from Latin, and it means "unconquered". And Prince Henry was inspired by the Warriors Games periodically organised by the U.S.
Department of Defense that has a long tradition of using sports to "heal" the wounds of its soldiers.
In the past, I have already been making the case for Nepal to participate in the Invictus Games.
The National Army counts already with a group of servicemen who are very active in the field of adaptive sports, and its wheelchair basketball team has been dominating, almost unchallenged, the game in the country for more than 10 years.
For those readers who might now be aware, in Nepal there are a considerable number of persons with disabilities even though the National Census has a track record of downplaying their accurate number (we will soon see if the detailed findings of the Census 2021 will, this time, respect the reality).
At the same time, let's not forget that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2074 (2017) officially classifies nine types of disabilities, including mental or psycho-social disability, intellectual disability and disability associated with haemophilia.
In short, disabilities are part of the society, and in one way or another, all of us are affected by them.
It is key to "normalise" disabilities in the sense of accepting them as an intrinsic part of our lives, a fact that requires some adjustments and a precise effort, what in jargon is called reasonable accommodation.
To be clear, reasonable accommodation is not a nice tokenism. It is a right as per national and international laws.
Going back to the Invictus Games, my last column for this newspaper was about Sarita Thulung, an athlete and advocate with disabilities, who has been pushing herself to excel in sports.
The idea of the Invictus Games is to recognise the contributions of soldiers, but, by default, is also about doing more to include and respect the disable community all over the nations through sports.
That's why it is paramount for Nepal to have its own team of athletes at the next Invictus Games.
I really hope that some generals of the National Army is reading these lines because we need them to step up and do the right thing (an appeal, if by chance you know some of them, pass this piece along).
Finding the resources might be a bit of a challenge, but the National Army has its own resources, and I am sure some donors could even help here.
In addition, the National Army counts with a hero, Lieutenant Pawan Ghimire, who after losing his sight during the war, turned himself into an adaptive sports hero and activist with the creation of the Cricket Association of Blinds.
The 2023 Invictus Games might not consist of a huge Nepali delegation, but surely we could pick a few disciplines, including wheelchair basketball (pardon my bias here) and show the world what these athletes can do.
A Nepal's participation, even a symbolic one, would provide a blueprint also for a much stronger contingent of adaptive sports athletes to the next Paralympic games in Paris 2024.
Indeed it is unacceptable that in a country like Nepal, with so many high performance athletes with disabilities, there is always a ridiculously low number of them having the chance to compete at the highest levels internationally. This must change, and the Army's generals can help in this, by showing the way and yes, by doing what they are supposed to do, lead inclusively.
Why not, perhaps Kathmandu or Pokhara could even launch a bid for hosting the Invictus Games by the end of this decade.
Let's not forget the last paragraph of the poem of William Ernest Henley that gave the name to the Games: "It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul".
Nepal has so many "Invictus" citizens, and it is high time for them to be recognised.
By the way and with this I am closing, if I am not wrong, Prince Henry is quite fond of Nepal as well.
Apparently all the right ingredients are there for a Nepal's participation to next year's games.
Galimberti is the co-founder of ENGAGE, an NGO partnering with youths living with disabilities. He can be reached at simone_engage@yahoo.com
A version of this article appears in the print on April 19, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
