ISLAMABAD, Aug 08 (APP): Young talented table tennis player Haroon Ijaz wanted to make the nation proud by winning laurels for the country at national and international levels.
Haroon, who won a gold medal in table tennis at National Special Olympics Games last year, said he would make the nation proud if he gets a chance to represent the country in the future.
“I excelled in the table tennis competition of the National Sports Olympics Games and bagged a gold medal. The Games were played in Rawalpindi from September 18 to 20 last year. Around 50 special children from schools across the country participated in the event,” he said.
“Three other school-level competitions were also organized in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Karachi during the past four to six months in which, I also performed brilliantly and won gold medals in all three events”.
“I’m grateful to the government for giving opportunities to special children to participate in the games. I will soon participate in the table tennis event in Karachi,” he said in an interview with APP.
Haroon, who was a resident of District Bagh, Azad Kashmir is currently studying here at the National Training Center for Special Persons School.
“I am a student of class 8 and along with studies, I also participate in sports competitions, and at the moment I am also learning music in school,” he said.
He said his father was retired from Punjab Bank, and they were two brothers. My elder brother has done matriculation while I am still studying in 8th standard, he said.
Haroon said he had a stutter in his tongue, due to which he faced difficulty while speaking. “I will soon participate in the table tennis event to be held in Karachi, for which I’m preparing”. The National Training Center for Special Persons is fully supporting me in school-level competitions. If I got a chance I would make my country proud.
He said he also wanted to participate in national-level table tennis competitions but encouragement was needed by the government and federation.
It is pertinent to mention, Haroon performed brilliantly in the National Special Olympics Games last year, which was an example for other special children. If special children were given opportunities in games, they could play their part in making the nation proud.