The entity already has a football team and hopes to have athletes in rowing, petanque or rhythmic gymnastics soon
‘Titanes sin Barreras’, the first sports club in Benidorm for people with intellectual disabilities
This morning, Benidorm City Council hosted the presentation of the sports club ‘Titanes sin Barreras’, the first club in the city for people with intellectual disabilities to practice sports. The club has already been registered in the Municipal Register of Associations and Entities, as stated this morning by the Councillor for Sports, Javier Jordá, who welcomed them and assured them of “all our support”.
Ben Atkinson, the president of the club, recalled that the challenge arose five years ago when he met another of the promoters, Manu Serrano, with the idea of “making a football team for children who could not play. And that was how last year we had the first adapted football team”. This year they have taken a step further and now have the sports club “and from now on there will be more sports to practice besides football” added Atkinson.
Manu Serrano also said that the idea came to him because his son, one of the members of the Titanes, “always wanted to play in a football team, but he was always on the bench.” “I wanted to create something where he felt useful” he added before specifying that “the real project is that any person with an intellectual disability can do the sport they like.”
At the moment they have a football team, but they already have the offer to practice rowing, and petanque and there is interest in doing rhythmic gymnastics. “It is the beginning of making the dream of them being included and being able to do their sport come true” added Manu Serrano. At the club, however, they do not limit themselves to sporting activities but also organize social events, lunches, dinners and dance activities.
Ángela Zaragozí, the councillor for Social Welfare, has stated that her department works for social inclusion “and what better way to do it than through sport”? The councillor expressed her gratitude for the initiative and her satisfaction “because the children can have this time of leisure and feel important”.
