Courage is needed for persons with disabilities to step outside and be included in society, United States (US) badminton para-athlete Amy Burnett said during a press conference with US Olympic badminton athlete Howard Bach yesterday.
“Parents have to have the courage to believe that their child will be alright. They will be meeting people outside of their home and have friends. They can become part of the society. We need inclusion,” Burnett said.
“The world needs to be full of inclusivity including female and disability inclusion. That is the reason we are here.”
She added, “Believe in yourself and have faith in what you are doing and know that obstacles can be overcome. Surround yourself with support and once you succeed, you can inspire others.
“This is important because everyone needs to be inspired by someone and everyone needs a role model. I am a role model for the US because I am the first wheelchair player to represent the country internationally. I trust and believe in myself as well as have the courage to step outside.”
Meanwhile, Bach in a message to local badminton players said, “I always tell my students to train harder than you play in the tournament and to be creative to find flexible approaches to winning matches, as well as to believe in yourself in achieving great heights.”
Burnett and Bach are in the Sultanate under the US Sports Envoy Badminton Programme hosted by the Embassy of the United States in Brunei Darussalam in partnership with Chung Hwa School Kiudang (CHSK).
The programme is supported by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, the Paralympic Council of Brunei Darussalam and the Council for the Welfare of Persons with different Abilities (MKOKU).
The visit aims to stimulate sports development, empower youth and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Burnett is the first female wheelchair athlete in the US to achieve international recognition in para badminton.
A life-altering accident in 1996 propelled her to break barriers and advocate for adaptive sports and disability rights.
She also blazed trails as the inaugural Para Athlete Director and Representative for USA Badminton and played a pivotal role in advancing female inclusion within the sport, spearheading efforts to add females to the Badminton World Federation’s Para Athlete Commission.
Howard Bach was born in Vietnam and emigrated to the US at the age of three, when his father, Sencam Bach, introduced the sport to him and would coach him over the next 11 years. At the age of 16, he decided to dedicate himself to the sport of badminton full time.
Bach competed and represented the US in three Olympics (Athens, Beijing, London) and officially retired in 2013.
In 2005 he won the men’s doubles of the World Badminton Championship with Tony Gunawan.
Bach and Burnett will be conducting a motivational talk from 9.30am to 11am today at CHSK’s badminton court followed by a badminton clinic from 2pm to 4pm at the same venue.
Tomorrow, a badminton workshop for high schools students will take place from 9.30am to 11am followed by a badminton workshop for persons with disabilities from 2pm to 4pm at CHSK’s badminton court. – James Kon
