Nov 14, 2019 | 05:30 AM
PENCAPAIAN MEMBANGGAKAN Baru-baru ini, Encik Hafiz Misram (kiri) mewakili Persatuan Cacat Penglihatan Singapura (SAVH) dan pasukan bot naganya, 'DragonSail All The Way', memenangi tempat keempat dalam DB Hearts Challenge 2019, anjuran bersama PAssion WaVe dan DB Hearts walaupun baru pertama kali menyertainya. Di kanan ialah Cik Suryana Ali, ahli jawatankuasa, sukarelawan aktif dan pengurus kumpulan 'Paddlers with Hearts' daripada DB Hearts yang turut menyertai kumpulan Encik Hafiz. - Foto BH oleh IQBAL FAIZAL
WALAUPUN kekurangan dari segi daya penglihatannya, ini tidak bermakna beliau tidak dapat melibatkan diri dalam kegiatan lasak seperti bot naga atau para basikal.
Encik Hafiz Misram, 32 tahun, hanya dapat melihat 7 peratus hingga 8 peratus bagi kedua-dua matanya sejak lahir. Tetapi, baru-baru ini, mewakili Persatuan Cacat Penglihatan Singapura (SAVH), beliau dan pasukan bot naganya, 'DragonSail All The Way', memenangi tempat keempat dalam DB Hearts Challenge 2019, anjuran bersama PAssion WaVe dan DB Hearts walaupun baru pertama kali menyertainya.
"Pengalaman menarik sebab kita semua kawan-kawan. Jadi semua bekerjasama, kita tahu yang mereka semua dengan kita dalam cabaran tu. Jadi, itu yang seronok terutama sekali dengan kawan-kawan," kongsi Encik Hafiz yang memang berminat dalam sukan sejak muda lagi dan kemudian menjadi lebih giat dalam para basikal.
Pengalamannya dalam para basikal sebelum ini membantu beliau membina stamina untuk pertandingan ini dan beliau ditempatkan di bahagian belakang bot yang selalunya ditempatkan mereka yang lebih bertenaga. Walaupun kurang daya penglihatan, Encik Hafiz akan mendengar dan menurut arahan ketika di dalam bot naga agar dapat sama-sama mengemudi bot naga itu hingga ke garisan penamat. Beliau dan kumpulannya bertanding di bawah kategori Adaptif. Dalam kategori ini, setiap pasukan terdiri daripada sekurang-kurangnya lapan orang kurang upaya. Demi keselamatan, setiap orang kurang upaya digandingkan dengan seorang penyokong atau penjaga atau sukarelawan.
Menurut Cik Suryana Ali, ahli jawatankuasa, sukarelawan aktif dan pengurus kumpulan 'Paddlers with Hearts' daripada DB Hearts yang turut menyertai kumpulan Encik Hafiz:
"Dia sangat positif. Walaupun dia baru, dia berikan segala kemampuannya."
Disebabkan tenaga dan keupayaannya agar segerak, Encik Hafiz akan dilatih lagi agar menjadi lebih baik, tambah Cik Suryana.
Encik Hafiz yang berpuas hati dengan penyertaan dan kemenangan pasukannya turut berura-ura bermain bola sepak pula pada masa hadapan kerana minatnya dalam sukan yang lasak dan ingin mencabar diri sendiri.
DB Hearts Challenge 2019, yang dianjurkan bersama oleh PAssion WaVe dan DB Hearts, menyaksikan kumpulan sosial, termasuk mereka yang kurang upaya, berkumpul untuk menikmati sukan bot naga. Pasukan termasuk peserta dengan pelbagai kekurangan keupayaan telah menjalani latihan secara kerap di PAssion WaVe @ Marina Bay. Walaupun berbeza keupayaan, peserta ini bersemangat, memberikan yang terbaik semasa sesi latihan mereka dua jam seminggu. Pasukan yang menyertai DB Hearts Challenge ini telah menjalani sejumlah 45 sesi latihan diselaraskan dan disokong oleh kakitangan PAssion WaVe; dan dijalankan oleh jurulatih DB Hearts Dragon Boat.
Antara pasukan yang menyertai perlumbaan ini ialah Persatuan Cacat Penglihatan Singapura (SAVH), Society Staples and Yayasan Barah Buah Dada.
Translation from Malay to English:
Active in rugged sports despite visual disabilities – Pg11 (Lifestyle)
Despite having visual disabilities, it did not stop Mr Hafiz Misram, 32 from participating in rugged sports such as dragon boating and para cycling. Mr Hafiz, who can only see 7-8 per cent in both eyes since birth, has recently represented the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) with his dragon boat team, “DragonSail All the Way” and won fourth in the DB Hearts Challenge 2019, organised by PAssion WaVe and DB Hearts, although it was his first time participating.
His prior experiences in para cycling has helped him build his stamina for the competition, where he supported his team by seating at the back of the boat. Although he has poor vision, Mr Hafiz will listen and follow instructions in the boat so that, as a team, they would be able to drive the boat to the finish line. His team competed in the Adaptive category, where each team would need to consist of at least eight people with disabilities. For safety reasons, each person with disabilities is paired with a supporter, caregiver or volunteer.
According to Ms Suryana Ali, committee member, active volunteer and manager of the DB Hearts group, “Paddlers with Hearts”, who has also joined Hafiz’s team said, “He’s really positive. Although he is new, he gives everything he has within his ability”.
DB Hearts Challenge 2019, which is organised by PAssion WaVe and DB Hearts, sees social groups, including those with disabilities, come together to enjoy dragon boating as a sport. The teams include participants with various disabilities, who have undergone regular training sessions at PAssion WaVe @ Marina Bay. Despite having different abilities, the participants are motivated and gave their best, during each training session, twice a week. The teams that participated in DB Hearts have undergone a total of 45 training sessions organised and supported by PAssion WaVe staff and driven by DB Hearts Dragon Boat trainers.
Eager to share her knowledge to steer engineers into becoming volunteers for people with disabilities – Pg11 (Lifestyle)
Profile story on Ms Suryana Ali, 42, a principal product engineer as well as a committee member and volunteer of DB Hearts. DB Hearts, is a volunteer driven effort, formed in 2016 by a group of veteran dragon boaters who wish for a more inclusive and diverse community. It was started by Mr Tan Eng Hee, who believes that competitive dragon boating should be accessed more easily by all Singaporeans.
Ms Suryana Ali, has been a volunteer at DB Hearts for 10 months and it has been two months since she became a DB Hearts Committee member. Sharing her experience during her first training session with the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped (SAVH), she was then, paired with a newbie who was motivated and keen to learn and excel in the sport. In one of the sessions, the newbie was praised for his abilities, where he expressed his gratitude for Ms Suryana for her efforts in supporting him.
DB Hearts has worked with PAssion WaVe for the DB Hearts Challenge 2019 recently for a dragon boat competition, where teams with disabilities joined and participated
