Lalitpur : Inclusive Tourism of Boccia Event Brings Joy and Awareness to Patan Durbar Square. On 8th June 2025, PP Dr. Birendra Raj Pokharel, PE Ms. Shobha Lamichhane, and PN Ms. Neeta Singh participated in the Boccia sports event with children and adolescents with profound disabilities in Darbar Square of Patan.

The participants showcased their laughter and enjoyed sports and entertainment despite their various disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Severe Spinal Cord Injury, Spina bifida, and others. The event was meaningful for the promotion of inclusive tourism where PDG of Maharashtra, India, as a tourist visiting Patan Darbar Square, coincidently joined and encouraged the children with disabilities, offering a token of support.

The event was organized by the Nepal Boccia Association for Disabled Nepal with the financial support of Abilis Foundation – Finland and collaborated with RCJ and RCJ-Manjushri. JOCV (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers) of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) member Maho Okamoto from Japan also participated in this event.

JOCV is dispatched volunteers by JICA. The purpose of the JOCV program is to work with local people to solve problems in developing countries at the grassroots level. She is involved in teaching boccia and understanding the disabled in Nepal at the Nepal Boccia Association for the Disabled. The comments of JOCV member Maho Okamoto: Patan Durbar Square is one of the three major royal squares in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal.

It is visited not only by local Nepalese but also by tourists from neighboring countries, Asia, Europe, America, and other parts of the world. It was a great honor for me to participate in a Boccia event held in such a place. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who supported us in organizing this event.

I believe that the promotion of sports in inclusive tourism means much more than simply holding a Boccia event. Because I believe that by combining tourism and sports, we can impact more and more people. Also, by holding such an event in a tourist place where people of various backgrounds from all over the world gather, we may be able to create new warmful supports and connections.

As a matter of fact, the PDG of Maharashtra, India, who was visiting as a tourist, encouraged the event. I think that this is very significant in the promotion of inclusive tourism. In addition, People with disabilities who gathered to participate in Boccia events in tourist areas had a significant impact on tourists in terms of their understanding of disabilities.

Through the various events, I would like to continue to work for the further development of sports for the disabled, inclusive sports, and understanding of disabilities.