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The greetings are heartfelt, the joy at meeting friends is genuine and the smiles speak of the freedom that they experience when they come together. The specially-abled people at the Dubai Club for Special Sports have an infectious air about them.

“We have about 100 members in the men’s section here. What attracts them to this club is that they get to meet other people like themselves. At home they hardly get the kind of attention that they deserve,” says Nejib Mechkane, Head Coach at the institute.

The institute trains specially-abled individuals in the age group of sixteen to forty to participate in local, regional and international sports competitions apart from other activities. One of the achievements of the institute came last year when 29-year-old Vahdani Mohammad landed an overall sixth spot at the Paralympics in Beijing in the 200 and 100 meter wheelchair racing.

“That was one of the best moments of my life. Our aim at the institute is to make these people realise that they are no less than able people. The challenge is to help them overcome their inhibitions and fears and realise their strength that they can then use for the good of society,” elaborates Nejib.

The star-athlete Vahdani was polio stricken at the tender age of six, but overcame difficulties to make athletics a passion in his life. With his former coach Nejib acting as the translator, Vahdani sat down to talk to us about his goals in life.

“I was very disappointed that I could not win a medal at the Beijing Paralympics. But now I have my eyes set on the 2012 London Paralympics. I will give it my best shot and that is my only aim at the moment.”

His family could not believe that he could accomplish a fete as difficult as competing at international level. They were thrilled and proud that one of their family members had gone where they couldn’t.

Mohammad practices about two hours every day under a new coach. But there is a challenge to his dream. He is yet to establish the kind of rapport with his new instructor that he shared with Nejib. This he says is creating trouble during training.

“But that is something that they will overcome,” Nejib clarifies. Vahdani looks up to Nejib for inspiration saying that his former coach has given him the confidence to overcome the thought that disability is a hindrance.

Saeed Mohammad Saeed, the 32-year old friend of Vahdani Mohammad stood with his crutches, attentively listening to the conversation.

He looked shy but Nejib informed that he and Vahdani are inseparable. The bonhomie is more than apparent. The coaches at the institute plant gentle pecks on the cheeks of the students while greeting them; the soft touch of hands on their heads going a long way in comforting the specially-abled who crave for the attention and care at home.

“They feel free here. They feel loved here. It is sad but true, but back home, these kids are not given the kind of support and encouragement that they should be given. We at the institute have taken that up as a challenge and we are doing our best,” explains Nejib.

“The difference between staying at home and here is that probably at home most of the times the person is with a nanny who gives him food and cleans him. So even at the age of 20, the nanny is obliged to clean him. My question is why are these kids being made dependent on someone else to do the most basic of personal chores? It will only make them more dependent in the future. This needs to stop,” adds Nejib.

Nejib hails from Tunisia and has been training specially-abled people since 1994. Before that he was the coach for decathletes from the country. But he says that training specially-abled people has been more enriching.

“These people are not selfish and they give it their all. They are passionate in ways that even able people cannot be. They only need guidance, support and love,” Neji says affectionately.

Explaining his decision further to coach the specially-abled, Neji says that when individuals first come to the institute, they are in a depressed state. As a coach, it is a challenge to elevate people’s spirits and bring them to a situation where they can look others in the eye and say with pride that they are not something to be frowned upon. The training at the institute is not just about sports or physical fitness, it is about civic education.

Following rules and regulations at the institute, showing respect to coaches and friends and practicing clean habits are few of the other things that students are taught. There is a mix of people with physical as well as mental disabilities. The sports activities offered at the institute range from athletics, track and field, power lifting, wheelchair, basketball, volleyball, football as well as chess.

“When you are training special-needs people every day is a new experience because there is a lack of consistency about how they would react on a day to day basis. This is an exciting challenge,” says Neji.

The coaches at the institute also visit special needs schools to scout for future talent who can represent the country at international level. Though a majority of the students are locals, the institute also has some students from other countries.

People like Vahdani who have found their calling in life are now brimming with confidence while facing the various challenges that life throws at them. And what is it that makes his life beautiful?

“My wife is expecting our first child in the next couple of months. I am hoping it is a girl and she adds more beauty into my life,” says Vahdani brimming with joy.

In the meantime 30-year-old Latifa Ali Sultan Suwaidi runs into the room on her wheelchair. She suffers from cerebral palsy but “it is not as severe as the rest” says her coach.

“I will be available for the interview, but after training,” she says conveying that her passion comes before publicity.

Training with her coach on the lawns of the institute, she too has her eyes set on the London Paralympics. Latifa says she is practicing hard to achieve the dream that she and her coach are pursuing. She is employed at the Immigration office in Dubai and says that she has the full support of her family in the pursuit of her goals.

Breaking into laughter every now and then, Latifa says that she has hardly had a moment to regret in her life. Her disability does not deter her from dragging her wheelchair around without seeking assistance neither does it make her dream of a medal at the Paralympics a daunting task.

The leitmotif in the lives of these special needs people at the institute seemed to be a joint fight against segregation. Expressions fill the air when they communicate with each other. Even moments of silence are filled with words. A smile stays perched on their faces and so does the confidence of having found a new route and tool to navigate through life.