Play/Recreation This is the area in which children felt they had the least opportunity to participate. One of the main issues they highlighted is the unavailability of space for children to play. We have no space for sports. We’ll have to abroad for it, or maybe in some islands. Or maybe on top of someone’s terrace. Many were unhappy that the few community sports centres that exist are always taken up by adults. Keen football players among the children expressed frustration that oftentimes they have to hang about football grounds, waiting for adults to vacate the plot. More often than not, they end up not getting a chance. ‘This is also the reason,’ one child felt, ‘we are not allowed to go to play sports very often.’ Parents are worried about children having to hang around on the streets, waiting for some free space, and fear they may get involved in some sort of trouble or form friendships that maybe detrimental to their behaviour. In the Maldives, especially in Male’, there are very few activities that target young people. […] In schools when they are introducing new activities and such, they do not really consult with children that much, they do not provide us the opportunity to express our views when they are making up rules for the activities either. There is very little consultation especially when it comes to children with special needs – we don’t think there is even a dedicated place for children with special needs to play. None of the children, young or old, have ever been consulted by youth workers, community or national sports events organisers about what sort of sports and play facilities they would like to have made available to them. Young children also confirmed that neither city councils nor any other local government authority or sports body has consulted them about the playgrounds in their neighbourhoods or what sort of play equipment they would like at such a facility. None of the children with special needs felt their views had been taken into account when sports events were organised by local authorities. One of the children, however, said he had been given many opportunities for participation by people in his neighbourhood who invite him to join annual sports competitions in the area. Several children, who themselves did not have special needs, also expressed dissatisfaction about the lack of opportunities that children who do have special needs are afforded. There isn’t much for such children. There should be separate training available for such children. What really happens is that it is very difficult for children with special needs and ‘children who are normal’ to train together sometimes. There are some children who get angry with special needs children during training. I haven’t heard them being shouted at, but different children have different personalities and some children do get angry. If something is said in anger, these children get very upset. 35