Ishant Tudeja, a 13-year old boy with intellectual disabilities bagged a gold and silver medal in roller skating at the Special Olympics World Games. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
The 275-member strong Indian contingent made the country proud by pocketing 173 medals at the Special Olympic World Summer Games 2015 in Los Angeles.
The athletes, who competed under the banner of Special Olympics Bharat, bagged 47 gold medals, 54 silver and 72 bronze pieces 14 disciplines during the nine-day event that ended August 2.
The country was most successful in athletics where Indians collected a total of 47 medals which included three gold medals in various categories of the 100-metre race. They also clinched the soft ball gold on debut.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian contingent for its great outing in the American city.
“Achievements of Indian contingent at @LA2015 @SpecialOlympics are truly gladdening. They are India’s pride,” Modi wrote on his Twitter page.
“The @LA2015 @SpecialOlympics were a triumph of determination, hardwork & sportsman spirit. Congratulations to all athletes who participated,” he tweeted.
Mukta Narain Thind, Special Olympics Bharat’s national director (organisation development), said it was an improvement from last year.
“They shine every time, and they have shone this year too. We are pleased with the performance, the medal tally has improved. They have bagged 173 from 150 something last time around, so we are extremely proud of what they have achieved,” Mukta told IANS.
“Next is the winter Olympics in Austria in 2017 which will be our main focus. The athletes will start training from October this year,” she said.
India had won 156 medals – 56 gold, 48 silver and 52 bronze – in the last edition of the games held in Athens, Greece.
Facts about Special Olympics:
- Special Olympics is the World’s largest multi-sport event which is held for athletes with disabilities
- Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver
- In 1988, International Olympics Committee recognised Special Olympics
- The 2015 Special Olympics event in Los Angeles had the largest gathering in the World after 1984
- This year, the Games were held from July 25, 2015 to August 2, 2015
- The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were officially opened by Michelle Obama. Stevie Wonder was also featured in the opening
Source….www.hindustantimes.com and http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in
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