LAHORE: In order to ensure that physical limitations and intellectual disabilities don`t stop country`s special youth from exploring and attaining their true potential, the chief minister has launched an initiative `No Athlete is Left Behind`.

Aiming to revive sports infrastructure and training in Punjab to provide special athletes access to these facilities and raise an inclusive Punjab, the provincial government has begun collaboration with the Special Olympics Pakistan through the Chief Minister`s Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) to increase opportunities for special youth with disabilities.

As a part of this initiative, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday hosted three differently abled ath-letes of Special Olympics Pakistan before their departure for Austria.

MehwishTufall, Muhammad Abdullah and Farah Ehsan from Punjab will represent Pakistan at Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017. These games take place everyfouryears.

The athletes are competing in two sports -Snow Shoeing and Cross Country Skiing -for which they have been training in Naltar and Shogran sincelastyear.

At a ceremony where athletes` families, coaches and staff of Special Olympics Pakistan were present, the chief minister said the government was strongly committed towards the international development agenda and efforts for nurturing an inclusive Punjab. `The government is striving for provision of rights and opportunities to special youth by mainstreaming theirparticipation in educational, sports, recreational and skills development activities,` he said.

Announcing funds for the trip of three special athletes from Punjab, Mr Sharif said, `I strongly encourage special youth and their parents to commit to education and sports.

Instead of disability restricting their inclusion, my government will continue to ensure that it brings along opportunity and success for them.

SMU head Fatima Zaidi said the unit had initiated this first of its kind initiative from a government platform to encourage and support differently abled youth. She promised continuing the unit`s struggle for an inclusive Punjab till: `No One is Left Behind` She said the three special athleteshadrisen above theirintellectual disabilities and already standvictorious. `The SMU will strive to protect rights of the differently abled and bridge every gap for their socioeconomic inclusion,` she asserted.

As a part of this initiative, the Punjab government has also launched a Young Athletes Programme for sports training and equipment in Special Education Department schools across the province. The government is also enhancing collaboration with the Sports Board Punjab for capacity buildingandinternationaltraining programmes for coaches, access to stadiums, improving the quality of sports for people with disabilities.

In order to encourage the special athletes, the Punjab government has also plans to organise Special Olympics Punjab a sports festival for youth with disabilities in September this year.