KUWAIT: Chairman of the Board of Tomouh Sports Club for the mentally challenged Eng Jassim Al-Nouri demanded the withdrawal of the decision of cancelling the establishment of Tomouh club, adding that the decision is surprising, unfair, without prior warning to undermine an existing entity that is practicing its activities for six year and has 150 athletes of both genders, and produced many champions and has a long record of global and regional participation and achievements.

Al-Nouri explained, during the press conference the club held to discuss the repercussions of decision to cancel its establishment, that Tomouh club complied with all laws and financial and administrative rules, and all championships it participated in were with prior approval by Public Authority for Sport, and did not have single violation since its establishment. He said the club cooperated with the committee that was formed by former Youth Minister and presented all required data, and the club was not invited to any meeting, only to surprised lately with the shocking ministerial decision.

Al-Nouri found strange “that at the time we were hoping to have multiple clubs for the mentally challenged to increase competition and discover talents, and establish a wide base of athletes, the decision came to undermined the only entity that have this achieving sport and presented a bright front for the Kuwait handicapped sport in many arenas the latest of which winning 21 medals during the world games in Berlin, and were honored by meeting His Highness the Amir and described them as heroes and gave instructions to support them”.

Al-Nouri renewed his call to review the decision and withdraw it, adding the club is ready to cooperate with Public Authority for Sport in all matters and amendments it sees suitable for enhancing the sport of the mentally challenged.

On her part Treasurer of Tomouh Club Hanaa Al-Zawawi said the decision to cancel the establishment of the club represents the closure of the only outlet for our children of mental disabilities to practice sport and a waste of six years efforts of construction, serious work and cooperation between the administration and guardians to enable this group of children and qualify them for sports achievements.

She said that before we talk as an administration, we are parents of children of mental disability and have a cause, and we realize the size of the major quality move the sports achieved in the lives of our children and materialized in great achievements as testified by all, not only in the field of sport habilitation, rather it extended to include health care and awareness along with social programs and initiatives for athletes and their guardians through activities of Special Olympics under the umbrella of Tomouh Club.

Al-Zawawi expressed hope that the decision will be withdrawn as soon as possible so our children won’t stay home for long. Secretary General of Tomouh Club Sadiqa Al-Ansari condemned the frustrating and surprising decision to cancel the establishment the club following its outstanding achievements in 43 local, regional and international participations including six regional and five international championships and two world games, all of which were permitted and approved by Public Authority for Sport and support from all state entities.

She hoped the person responsible for the decision to have the courage and admit he was mistaken and not to go far in destroying an existing and achieving entity, and wasted years of work, sacrifice and struggle, and blows away the ambitions of our mentally challenged children, and did not pay attention to the rights of workers, coaches and employees of the club.

Meanwhile, the legal representative of Al-Tomouh Club lawyer Abdulaziz Buresli refuted the legality of the decision to cancel the establishment of the club, adding that legal experts and senior lawyers are unanimous that the decision to cancel the establishment of 43 clubs is a fragile decision that has many legal faults and is destined for cancellation if the clubs resorted to courts, relying on that the decision was to the contrary to the opinion of Fatwa and Legislation that it is not allowed to cancel the establishment of existing clubs that are practicing their activities.

He spoke about the particular invalidation of the decision to cancel the establishment Al-Tomouh Club, adding that the items the cancellation decision relied on (item 3, and item 11) in regards to the premises and financial resources, do not apply for Tomouh Club what so ever. The club submitted to the Public Authority for Sport proof of that.

Buresli said the decision to cancel the establishment of Tomouh Club along with 19 clubs was issued by a minister in a care-taker government. The minister could only make decisions for routine work, unless he imagined that closing down clubs and cancelling their establishment and displace its members, and squander the rights of its technical and administrative departments, as routine. (From left) Sadeeqa Al-Ansari, Eng Jassim Al-Nouri, Hanaa Al-Zawawi.