Football Championship for Children with Autism held in Tbilisi
By Tea Mariamidze
Tuesday, October 31
Football Championship for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder - Georgia’s Royal Cup, was held at the Tbilisi Dinamo Academy on October 29.
The main purpose of holding the championship was to integrate children with autism into society, encourage them, promote sports and promote communication with the outside world.
Autistic children from the cities of Gori, Kutaisi and Rustavi also took part in the championship.
The top three teams were awarded with memorable medals and the other two with certificates.
In parallel, the event guests could see and purchase the children's handmade crafts.
The Warriors Football Club, which unites around 45 autistic children living in five regions of Georgia, was formed by Tbilisi Business House last year.
The club members have special coaches and also a psychologist. Their exercises contain both theoretical and practical lessons.
According to project manager Eko Tsirekidze, the project is integrated to include both autistic and non-autistic children.
The manager of the project explains that it is very important to integrate autistic children into society.
“The project brings autistic kids closer with society. Very often it is society which stigmatizes such children and we all agree that disabilities do not exist,” she added.
The organizers of the project plan to form similar football teams in the other regions of Georgia as well. The next match is scheduled for summer 2018.
