Her transition from athlete to coach came with some hesitation. “I wasn’t sure about SOBD at first,” she admits, reflecting on her uncertainty about the organization and her capacity within it. Although Asia had experience growing up around family members with special needs, working with athletes with intellectual disabilities in a sports setting was entirely new to her. She was also unfamiliar with Special Olympics and had never heard of the movement before joining it.

Fortunately, she found ample resources to guide her. Her journey began with a general orientation to Special Olympics, which included an introductory course on coaching individuals with intellectual disabilities and learning specific coaching tactics. 

Asia furthered her coaching skills by earning her Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Level C diploma, in 2019 through a training co-hosted by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and Special Olympics Asia Pacific (SOAP). This certification is tailored for coaches who are committed to developing and coaching youths. It equips coaches with basic coaching principles, methodologies, and processes. It also focuses on how coaches can help players develop their understanding of football, including the technical aspects of the game.

She continued to advance her training by completing her Level B diploma with the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in 2020. The diploma provided her with a valuable opportunity to improve her skillsets and is designed to enhance coaching standards through a mix of theoretical, practical and assessments to ensure competency.

Her commitment towards improving her knowledge and gaining experience, along with her dedication to helping the community grow, has been evident throughout her journey.

A significant milestone in her coaching career came in 2019 when she led a team at the inaugural Special Olympic International Football Championship in Chennai, India, for the first time. Coach Asia’s work extends far beyond coaching. Before the 2023 Special Olympics Summer World Games in Berlin, SOBD organized several training camps in Dhaka. These camps, which ranged between 2 weeks to 2 months, brought together athletes from across Bangladesh and pushed both the athletes and coaches to their limits. “The athletes I’ve worked with have taught me the importance of managing my emotions by setting clear boundaries and treating each of them with respect ” she says, highlighting how this experience has shaped her coaching approach.

This close interaction fostered strong bonds within the team. They ate, trained, and spent time together, with athletes often turning to her for support. Asia even learned basic sign language to better communicate with her team, as some of her athletes are hearing-impaired. “There’s a lot of unspoken understanding on the field,” she notes. The team looks out for each other, working towards common goals.

In a culture where people with intellectual disabilities often face isolation, discrimination, and rejection, Coach Asia’s relationships with her athletes are particularly meaningful. “They don’t get enough love in our culture, and many in society still view them as a burden, but I believe they are exceptionally talented,” she says.

Coach Asia is especially proud of players like Shorna Akter, who captained the team to a gold medal at the World Games and returned to her village as a hero. Asia believes Shorna is as skilled as any professional player and emphasizes the need to change perceptions and recognize the strengths of these athletes.

Coach Asia’s dedication has also touched her family. “My husband loves these athletes, maybe even more than I do,” she shares.

Through her work at SOBD, Coach Asia Khatun Bithi exemplifies how dedication and compassion can nurture talent and create a supportive community. Her journey has given her a deeper appreciation and understanding of the importance of providing support and opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.

To know more, follow @humanraceasia and @soasiapacific.

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My name is Alok and I am a 34-year-old from Bangladesh who has spent the last 12 years working with people with intellectual disabilities.

I am also an avid sports fan and athlete who used to compete in badminton and table tennis at the national level.

Sports and working with people with intellectual disabilities are two of my biggest passions in life. I’m very fortunate to be a coach with Special Olympics Asia Pacific because I get to put my skills and knowledge to use every day, for a meaningful cause.

Over the years, I’ve worked with many children with intellectual disabilities and seen how they’ve blossomed as a result of sports and their involvement with the Special Olympics movement. Working with Special Olympics has enabled me to receive professional training to improve my coaching skills, so that I am better equipped to help these children and young people through sports.

There was a boy whom I used to train with for five years. He has autism and had behavioral issues. Every day, I tried to tackle the issue and slowly, the results started showing. We communicated mainly in sign language. Initially, whenever someone signed to him, he would grab their fingers. Eventually, this became something he would do to strangers in public. It took me a year, but I managed to break this behavioral habit.

He was one of the many children whom I worked with, and I saw how my efforts were making an impact. It is extremely rewarding to see the difference you are making in a child. This is what keeps me going every day.

My interest in helping children with intellectual disabilities first sparked when a friend found out that his child had autism. I couldn’t stop thinking of ways to help my friend, his child and the rest of his family.

Because it isn’t just the children who need our support. Many parents find themselves ill-equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. So, in addition to training children with intellectual disabilities, I am also a trained counselor for parents. I share with them tips on how to communicate with their children and how to manage when they are misbehaving. Those who are new to the community find these sessions extremely helpful.

In Bangladesh, a lot is being done for the special needs community by the government. There are ongoing efforts to raise awareness and educate the public on people with intellectual disabilities . Two years ago, the level of awareness was nowhere close to what we have today.

I hope for this progress to extend beyond Bangladesh. Globally, we can become an inclusive society. Children with intellectual disabilities are truly special people. They are innocent and such a joy to be around. They welcome us into their world with open arms and without question or condition, and I would like to see the same being done for them. They should be included unconditionally and integrated into society.

I believe the work that professional social workers do plays an important part. But all of us can contribute in our own ways, by volunteering in relevant organizations or providing financial aid. Just start by getting involved in the community and see the impact you can make.

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