"Disability is not a basis for discrimination — it is simply a difference. To become a truly advanced sports nation, we cannot remain focused solely on elite, results-driven athletics. People with developmental disabilities must have opportunities and spaces within the mainstream sports system to participate alongside those without disabilities."
Shin Seok-min, chairman of Special Olympics Korea Gyeongnam, laid out his vision for sports involving people with developmental disabilities in an interview on Friday. He said the Special Olympics is more than a sporting event — it is a venue where people with and without developmental disabilities come together and realize the value of social inclusion. Sports for people with developmental disabilities, he said, should not be viewed as an act of charity or assistance, but as a matter of athletic rights that everyone is entitled to.
Those values of inclusive sports are expected to be on full display at the upcoming Changwon games. The 19th Special Olympics Korea National Summer Games will run for three days from Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 across venues in Changwon. About 1,000 athletes, coaches and others with intellectual and autism spectrum disabilities from across the country will take part, competing in 10 sports including track and field, swimming, basketball and table tennis — with the event aiming to embody not just competition but challenge, growth and unity.
Special Olympics Korea is hosting the games, with Special Olympics Korea Gyeongnam serving as the organizing body. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, South Gyeongsang Province, the South Gyeongsang Province Office of Education and the city of Changwon are all lending their support. South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Park Wan-su, provincial education superintendent Kwon Sun-gi and Changwon Mayor Kang Gi-yun are all confirmed to attend the opening ceremony, a lineup expected to underscore the event's significance.
Shin described the games as "a stage where people with developmental disabilities can proudly show their potential as full members of society." He said the Special Olympics "is not simply a competition to determine winners and losers, but a place where athletes gain confidence through training, experience achievement on the field and connect naturally with their communities," adding that "the greater significance lies in reducing prejudice about disability and broadening empathy."
Final preparations are underway. The organizing committee is reviewing not only competition logistics but also medical support and accessibility arrangements to ensure athletes can perform safely. Shin said organizers are "paying particular attention to personalized health management and accident prevention," and are "doing everything possible so that participants can focus on competing in the best possible environment without worry." Results from the games will also be used as selection data for future international competitions.
Significant challenges remain in the world of sports for people with developmental disabilities. Shin identified the biggest obstacle as the administrative and fiscal constraints that come from operating outside the mainstream institutional framework. "The passion and dedication on the ground are strong, but the foundation to sustain them stably is still not sufficient," he said. "We constantly face difficulties securing venues, obtaining budget support and building a year-round training system." He added that sports for people with developmental disabilities "should not be seen as a one-off event or something done out of charity, but as a right that must be enjoyed as a matter of course."
Shin also said that "a truly advanced sports nation is not defined by medal counts or rankings alone," and that "people with developmental disabilities must be able to sweat and grow within the mainstream sports system alongside those without disabilities." A former board member of the South Gyeongsang Province Sports Council who currently serves as dean of the graduate school of education at Gyeongnam University, Shin said he hopes "the Changwon games will demonstrate the potential of inclusive sports and serve as a turning point in shifting public awareness in the community," adding that he hopes "the athletes' challenges and passion will resonate deeply with many citizens."
ook967@heraldcorp.com
