City’s Bocce Ball player Wilfred D’Souza wins two silvers at Special Olympics

Mysuru: There have been numerous instances of athletes overcoming physical disabilities to achieve remarkable feats in their chosen sports.

Specially-abled athletes from the State, such as K.Y. Venkatesh, Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda and Malathi Krishnamurthy — who have all been honoured with the prestigious Padma Shri by the Government of India — have become sources of inspiration for specially-abled individuals, not just in the State but across the country.

Joining the ranks of upcoming specially-abled athletes is 16-year-old Wilfred D’Souza, a Bocce Ball player from Mysuru. Wilfred recently earned two silver medals as part of the Indian team at the Special Olympics — Asia Pacific Bocce and Bowling Competition held in New Delhi.

Wilfred D’Souza’s journey has been challenging from the start. His mother, Venni Almeda, a helper at Mathrumandali Shishu Vikasa Kendra, where Wilfred is currently undergoing vocational training, recalls how his father, Valli D’Souza, struggled to accept his son’s learning disability.

He even tore up the handicap certificate issued by the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH), insisting that Wilfred was as normal as any other child.

“We enrolled Wilfred in a regular school for a few years, but later, the headmistress informed us that our son was a special child who required special attention. She also directed us to Mathrumandali Shishu Vikasa Kendra,” said his mother.

Wilfred was introduced to Bocce Ball by Pandu, the administrator of Mathrumandali Shishu Vikasa Kendra. “We were trained in the game by Special Olympics Bharat — Karnataka to teach special children at our school. After that, we trained the children, and Wilfred was one of them. Fortunately, he took to the game well and eventually went on to represent the district, State, and country,” said Pandu.

Vijayalakshmi Urs, President of Mathrumandali, highlighted that the Shishu Vikasa Kendra has been dedicated to the welfare of special children for the past 30 years. She credited the team, led by Pandu, for not only training the children in vocational skills but also in sports, which ultimately led to Wilfred’s success in winning two silver  at an international event in Delhi.

About Bocce Ball

Bocce called as Bocce Ball is a ball game belonging to the Boules family. Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to English bowls and French pétanque, with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire.