KUALA LUMPUR: Children and adults using walkers and wheelchairs joined their non-disabled peers in sporting activities at the inaugural Sports for All Fest 2026 at Avenue K yesterday.
Initially strangers, they quickly became teammates, united by sports. Organisers hope to make the event an annual fixture.
“It’s great to see so many children and their parents taking part. The idea behind Sports for All Fest 2026 is to show that sports should be inclusive and accessible to everyone,” said Malaysian Olympism in Action Society (MOiAS) president Noraseela Khalid.
“We hope to turn this into an annual affair. We want to ensure more people play sports, and we mean every single layer of society, regardless of background and abilities.”
The event was co-organised by MOiAS and 360 All Ability, with Avenue K as venue partner.
Other partners and sponsors were Twentytwo13, Sports Nutrition Academy, Asian Youth Ambassadors, the Malaysia American Football Association, the Malaysia Floorball Association, Fitness First and the Federal Territories Athletics Association (FTAA).
Two young participants getting a feel for floorball.
Among those present at the opening ceremony were FTAA president Datuk Seri V. Pulainthiran and Twentytwo13 managing editor Pearl Lee. Young athlete Siti Nur Aisyah Shahimee also entertained the audience with dance routines to Michael Jackson songs, followed by a song performance.
Participants had the opportunity to try floorball and flag football, while FTAA conducted an athletics session.
Project director Daniel Lee said he was delighted with the response and hoped to compete in wheelchair fencing.
Lee, who hopes to compete at next year’s Asean Para Games, said: “The response was amazing. The venue was perfect as it allowed people of all abilities to access it easily.
“Sports must be inclusive. We can’t afford to leave anyone behind. Look at me. Who would have thought someone born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease) could be a national athlete?”
