Cricketers, disabled end exchange of skills

 Cricket PNG’s Disability programme completed its second week of training with the respective service providers on hand giving specialist training in their respective fields.
The first day saw the Red Cross Special Resource Centre, led by Christina Kenia and  Lovelyn Kento run through the basics of sign language.
The special school caters for mainly children who are hearing impaired as well as children who have a learning disability.
Cricket PNG staff, Lewas and Garamuts players went through the basic signs that are used in their everyday lifestyle.
Signs such as saying your name, good morning to even communicating with a hearing impaired person that he or she has been dismissed in a cricket match.
Cheshire disAbility Service then went through the basic procedures of how to transfer a client from a wheelchair to a bed or chair and vice versa.
They went through the basic procedures of transporting a person in a wheelchair up a flight of stairs and back down.
Cheshire disAbility Services physiotherapist, Simona Mokupe stressed the need for more buildings to be better accessible to people with disabilities.
Day two saw the St John Blind Services with several of their clients who had low vision or were totally blind to experience the sport of cricket.
A couple of stations with a wicket and a bat were setup for the visually impaired clients to try and test out the unique skill of listening to the ball coming towards them then trying to make contact with their bat.
A couple of Garamuts and Lewas players were on hand to help with a basic stance in front of the wicket and the correct way of gripping a bat.
Kriket Blo Olgeta programme coordinator, Nellie Pabulu thanked the service providers and their clients for taking the time to help with up skilling the Cricket PNG staff and national representative players in their respective disability fields.
“Cricket PNG would like to thank the Australian Government for its ongoing support of the Pacific Sports Partnership” Pabulu said.
“With the Australian Government’s support we, at Cricket PNG, can be able to make a difference in some of these special children’s lives and make them feel a part of this community.”
The Kriket Blo Olgeta – Disability Cricket programme is an initiative by the Australian Government funded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.