In Saudi Arabia parents faced with the challenge of providing the best possible life for a physically challenged child often must make difficult choices. Fortunately, the development of improved health care facilities in the Kingdom means that many handicapped Saudis can now find essential treatment closer to home. Decades ago, such options were not available. In those times, parents were forced to go to extremes in order for their disabled children to have the therapy needed to enable them to live productively.

Hani Abdulrahman Fahd Al-Bawardi was one of those children. Nearly three decades ago his parents made the selfless choice to have their son live far from them in the small German town of Neckargemund, just outside historic Heidelberg, so that he could receive specialist medical care. Now, this young Saudi is making waves in the international sporting world. He is considered the best handicapped international rugby player. In fact, for four consecutive years from 1994, he was the best player on the German team and was the team captain.

Though rugby is now his favorite sport, he began by playing basketball and table tennis. Al-Majalla, a sister publication of Arab News, recently interviewed Hani to discuss his achievements, emotional trials and the impact of his move to Germany. The interview took place as he was preparing to leave for training in Munich.

Hani was born in Riyadh in 1971 to Saudi parents. When he was three, he was diagnosed with poliomyelitis and his father took him to Europe for treatment. He could not be cured but they found a small medical center in Neckargemund that specialized in poliomyelitis and Hani has been there ever since. The young man took his handicap as a challenge and transformed it into an opportunity when he began to play rugby. His powerful arms have been extremely useful to him and his team.

He is considered a full-fledged member of the German family who have taken care of him since he was four. Hani knows everyone, young and old, in the small town of Neckargemund. His memories are all of Germany, as he left Saudi Arabia when he was very young. Hani says he visits Riyadh twice a year. “I don’t have any memories of the house I was born in. I had no friends when I left Riyadh. I just imagine what the desert in Saudi Arabia is like and how it feels to be in it.”

He said his father always wanted the best for him. “He wanted me to be able to walk and play like other children. After a while, I got used to life here and to my new family. Years later, my father asked me if I wanted to come back to Saudi Arabia or stay in Germany. When I told him that I wanted to stay in Germany, he said that was my choice and he would respect it. I think he wanted me to stay in Germany because there was no chance for me to get treatment in Saudi Arabia.”

Asked about his German family, he said: “The woman I live with is 76 and her husband is 80. They have four boys and two girls who are all married now. They do not like staying alone and so they made a lot of changes in the big house where we live so it would be easy for me to live there and move around. I feel like the fifth child in the family. I treat them as if they were my own parents. I have lost many emotional ties with my family in Saudi Arabia. This happens to any child who spends time away from his family.”

Even so, Hani does his best to stay in touch with his family in Riyadh. “I talk to them by phone. I speak English but I use a few Arabic words that I still remember.”

If Saudi Arabia had a rugby team for the handicapped, Hani would love to play for it. He thinks it is unfortunate that no such team exists. Has he had any offers to play on an Arab team? “No, because rugby is not popular in the Arab world. I have had offers to play in the United States and Australia.” If he were offered to play for an Arab country, he would not hesitate to accept.

In Europe, treatment, services and facilities for the handicapped are still superior to what is available in much of the Arab world. “I have many ideas that I want to present to Saudi officials in order to develop sports for the handicapped,” he stated. And Hani has something special up his sleeve for the Kingdom’s physically challenged sporting enthusiasts — he would like to help create a special center in Riyadh where the disabled can participate in sports and play on sporting teams.

Arab News Features 25 April 2003