The Special Olympics was born in 1962 in the US when a member of the influential Kennedy clan, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, started a day camp at her home for people with intellectual disabilities. The sister of former US President John F Kennedy and mother-in-law to former actor and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, then helped grow it into an international the movement with the first Special Olympics Games held in Chicago.

Athletes who take part in the Special Olympics are intellectually disabled and sometimes suffer some physical disabilities as well. That is the main difference of the Special Olympics to the Paralympics which is open to athletes who range from the physically disabled to the hearing and visually impaired.

The sports rules in the Special Olympics are no different to those that athletes in the Olympics and other regular sporting events adhere to, explained Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of Special Olympics Singapore. The only difference, said Dr Teo-Koh who has served on the Special Olympics International Rules committee, is when there are athletes who are unable to compete in regular events, but take part in developmental events held according to specially crafted rules.

By encouraging holistic development of such individuals through sports as well as sports-related programs throughout the year, support for the Special Olympics grew along with the number of athletes.

In 1988 the movement received the recognition and support of the International Olympic Council, and with that the group became the only organisation authorized to use the name "Olympics" worldwide even though it is not within the fold of the Olympics.

Although the Special Olympics Games takes place regularly in the US, there are also international meets hosted in Scotland, Canada and Austria. The first time the Special Olympics Games were held in Asia was in 2005, at Nagano, Japan, while current host of the Summer Olympics, China, held the Special Olympics Games in Shanghai in 2007.

In 2009, Singapore will be holding the national games for special athletes around the region, which is extra significant for the Special Olympics Singapore movement given its small size and base for support.

"Worldwide in terms of the Summer World Games there are about 22 games but because in Singapore we have a fairly small base in terms of number of athletes and to be honest, in terms of funding, we can only afford the top. Right now we only have nine sports and that is quite alot of sports to take care of" said Dr Teo-Koh.

Special Olympics Singapore does not receive charity funding neither does it receive regular financial support from the Singapore Sports Council. "In terms of funding and fund-raising,it becomes very critical for us"sums up Dr Teo-Koh.

The President of Special Olympics Singapore explained that the movement which is almost 25 years old in Singapore, gives full funding to special athletes for their sporting pursuits which are offered and run through the various special schools.

So Special Olympics Singapore has to rely heavily on volunteers and organizations that offer fund-raising support such as a recent Charity Golf organised by Juniper Networks with Avaya and IBM, and a charity art auction of works by intellectually disabled artists.