A Special Olympics Bharat (SO Bharat) team received a rousing welcome back home after their Gothia Cup win on Saturday. The team featuring 10 Indian footballers and athletes with Intellectual and developmental delays, came back unbeaten with the Cup.
The team won all of its matches and lifted the Cup in their group after the finals, where the Indian team defeated SO Denmark with a scoreline of 4:3. The Indians won four league stage matches before the summit clash and scored a total of 22 goals.
The SO team, supported by SKF India, received a warm welcome in Delhi on Saturday morning. Several distinguished guests Ms Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mallika Nadda, President SO Bharat and Chairperson Asia Pacific Advisory Council (APAC), Dr Upasna Arora, Treasurer, SO Bharat, were in attendance for the event.
Dr Mallika Nadda clicks for the cameras with the Gothia Cup.
Dr Mallika extended a warm welcome to the athletes. "Today is a significant day for us as it’s the Global Day of Inclusion. It gives me immense pleasure to mark this day with the victory of the SO Bharat Champions at the Gothia Cup tournament. I am thankful to Raksha Khadse ji, for welcoming and motivating our Athletes," Dr Mallika said at the event.
"The stellar performance of the athletes is a result of impeccable training, practice and motivation. I am grateful to team SKF India for opening this phenomenal opportunity for our Athletes and also for their enthusiastic support throughout, building the team, training and contributing to the rewarding outcome.
"The support of the Embassy of Sweden in India further made the experience heartwarming and inspirational. It is delightful to see diverse organisations and persons converging to drive inclusion forward," she added.
The Special Olympics Bharat Team during the welcome event.
Footballer Muhammad Shaheer scored the most number of goals for India in the tournament as he found the back of the net seven times in total 22 goals for the team. He hails from Kerala and is the son of a fisherman. Shaheer is nurturing a passion for football and other sports too, namely, cycling and swimming.
