BULGARIA: Special Olympics athlete joins UNICEF Ambassador Berbatov

On 7 June, 2009 UNICEF Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov launched the “It’s about ability” publication in Bulgarian. He was joined by Nikolay Panaiotov, Special Olympics athlete (12), national artistic gymnastics champion Bistra Stareishinka (10), and Dr. Octavian Bivol, UNICEF Representative in Bulgaria. 

Berbatov read his favorite part and said: “All children are equal and all children have rights. We should not leave any child behind. I hope we will start seeing the abilities not the problems. We need to give chance to the children because when we are united we can make it happen!”  At the event, Panayotov, who trains and competes in football and bocce, gave the famous football player his lucky bocce ball.

“It’s about ability” was created for and with the participation of children to explain the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The launch of ‘It’s about ability’ is the peak of the UNICEF campaign ‘The invisible children’. We start talking about the real change which should happen in everyone of us. And believe me the change is much easer and faster among kids. Thus we have decided to offer this book to the Bulgarian children so that they could help them selves and make a better future,” said Bivol.

“The invisible children” campaign aims at fundraising for professional care and trigger community support for children with disabilities and their families. 120 000 BGN was raised and the project “Playground for children” will be launched in September. As part of its activities in addressing the issue, UNICEF will continue supporting policies change and development of innovative national models for assistance. Panaiotov appeared as the face of the campaign.

Within the framework of the campaign, Special Olympics Bulgaria organized more than 60 local competitions and 11 regional competitions in Unified football, Unified dodge ball and demonstrations in Unified basketball, where more than 1000 athletes and their partners participated. During regional games, youth forums were held, where the young delegates discussed the issues related to the invisibility of children with intellectual disabilities in the community. 

The campaign was launched in February at a press conference involving Special Olympics Bulgaria gold medallists Spaska Topalova and Rosen Glyodov who had just returned from the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho. 

Photo: UNICEF Ambassador Dimitar Berbatov and Special Olympics Bulgaria athlete Nikolay Panayotov. (Photo courtesy of UNICEF)