Fun and games day open for everyone

MORE than two-hundred participants took to the courts at Selkirk Stadium on Tuesday as part of a program promoting inclusive sport in the region.

The initiative was delivered by Disability Sports Australia with other providers including Sports Central.

Executive officer Michael Flynn said the day was about showcasing accessible sports for all abilities.

“The idea is to get the community to try a range of different sports they’d possibly never had the chance to participate in before,” he said.

“We’ve got some games adapted for people with disabilities. A great example is Ballarat Badminton Association. The kids have a badminton racket in their hand and hitting a balloon as an activity.

“It’s been a really strong turnout and this is a first for Ballarat. DSA runs these events across Australia and this is part of a regional Victorian rollout.

“We’re hopeful we can deliver the program again.”

Activities included dance, fishing, lawn bowls, basketball, Aussie rules, golf and badminton.

Attendees were also given showbags containing information on all-abilities sports groups and programs as well as sports not featured in the event.

The Active Inclusion Day was spearheaded by 13-year-old Cooper Greenbank as a submission for feedback platform Suggest It’s 2022 Ballarat’s Best Ideas.

He said he was happy with seeing his suggestion become a reality.

“It’s really, really good to see my idea resulting in this day,” he said. “It’s surpassed all my expectations and it’s been great seeing the turnout.

“I definitely thought I got to give a lot of input with this and helped out a lot with the day.

“I thought a disability sports day would be good because around my school, I didn’t feel like there was enough awareness and equality amongst disabled people.”

Ballarat Specialist School Year 11 student Isabell Murray took part in the program and said it was an enjoyable experience.

“It’s been going good so far,” she said. “I’ve taken part in bowling, fishing, golf, and AFL.

“I enjoyed the fishing the most. We caught fake fish and got to see what type of fish it was. I’d definitely recommend this to people who want to try different sports out.”