Special Olympics Bharat Annual Report 2017

Transcription

1 Special Olympics Bharat Annual Report 2017 Bharat

2 The Special Olympics Mission The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community 1

3 Table of Contents Message from an Athlete. 3 Message from the Founder & CEO..4 Chairman s Remarks.. 5 The Foundation.. 6 Organization & Development.8 Sports 23 Healthy Athletes..84 Building Capacity.92 Champions- the heart of the movement Awareness & Recognition 106 Partnerships & Support 114 SOI Leadership Visits India Convergence

4 Message from an Athlete Neha Naik Board Member SO Bharat Joining Special Olympics was a turning point of my life. Soon I started gaining confidence in everything I did. I became a bolder person and was no more afraid or timid like before. I was then sent for training as an Athlete Leader and was chosen as an International Global Messenger (IGM) for Special Olympics. As an IGM, I travelled to many countries. I was very fortunate to be invited by the former President of USA and his wife Mrs. Obama to the White House in celebration of "Special Olympics and a Unified Generation This experience really game a boost and changed my life. I am proud to be a member of the Special Olympics Bharat Board. This has made me very happy and I am excited to be able to steer the silent revolution. At present I am working at the Maya Digital Studios in Mumbai as a Junior Digital Marketing Executive. I love my job and I am confident of making my own decisions. I would like to tell all parents and people everywhere to allow special children and adults to be themselves and encourage them to do what they are good at. Do not feel ashamed of them. We don't need pity. Encouragement and acceptance from loved ones is what we need. Include us in your life. For my fellow Athletes- Be BRAVE in the ATTEMPT Special Olympics Global Strategy Support Goal: Build capacity by improving resources and leadership Securing adequate resources is vital to the success of Special Olympics over the next five years. The aim is to align existing and new partners with our strategies, and combine increased resources with dynamic leadership to deliver the best possible impact for people with ID. In addition, we will integrate athletes, families and young people as we implement every aspect of this plan, especially in leadership roles, to ensure success 3

5 Message from the Founder & CEO Air Marshal (Retd) Denzil Keelor PVSM, AVSM, KrC, VrC This brings us to the end of another eventful year during which we were able to fulfil our vision of the new strategic plan. Fortunately the resilience which we have been able to introduce into our system was sufficient for us to make valuable adjustments and changes to meet our new commitments. Great credit to go to the people in the field especially the Area Directors and the Coaches who enabled us to meet all our targets. Notwithstanding the numbers, this year we have focussed on quality. We have learnt to focus sharply on quality, enriching the sports experience. However we have to continue this upgradation and together with all our valuable stakeholders ensure that it permeates the grass roots affecting Inclusion from the heart We will continue our endeavours with commitment and determination Our morale is high

6 Using Sports as a catalyst for Transforming lives and building a truly inclusive society Chairman s Remarks Greetings of the New Year! It feels great to be at the helm of Special Olympics Bharat. An immensely immersive responsibility that calls not merely to lead but to create leaders, to empower, ignite and represent the aspirations of millions of athletes of the country. From little steps to making progress leaps and bounds, I take enormous pride in measuring the distance we have covered over a span of few years. Consistently striving for betterment, emboldening our initiatives, we have managed to turn the tables in reaching our objectives. Changing gears towards new endeavors productively, we have fared to shift our focus from quantity to quality, in consonance to turning out with the requirements of long term sustainable strategies. This year while we are celebrating 50 years of Unity and Empowerment, I congratulate the entire Special Olympics family for the excellent work and wish them good luck to keep continuing good work for next 50 Years and more. From empowering resources with extensive emphasis on information technology as well as online tools, to understanding and intensifying our efforts on coaches trainings and athletes health and well- being, it has been quite fulfilling to be on the roadway of success and growth. Articulating reinforcement and expansion, SOB can assertively merit its success to the year 2017 as it succeeded in establishing new initiatives like IKEA, LIONS International, ESPN, and UNICEF along with others. Forging ahead with its central mission, SOB is privileged to have many championing schools as regional partners on board; to connect and involve them in the spectrum of our activities - Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to name a few. It takes both sides to build a bridge and with SOB mapping new heights by accelerating its activity coordinates to every stretch and magnitude of the country, we have been able to engage more partners and sponsors to build even stronger ties in realizing our vision. Add to that, it is worth citing the milepost set by Air Marshal Keelor in setting the system in motion. It lays a durable and effective footing for the present generation to reap its fruits and further spring forth into a comprehensive prospect. I find it valuable and worthwhile to be at the dashboard of larger roles and responsibilities with APLC, RUSAC, APAC and now SOI. It is truly rewarding for me to witness this dynamic unfolding of our movement. Similarly, encouraging it is to affirm the success of Bharat Programme and the Asia Pacific Programme, being mobilized and propelled to such greater summits. Last of all, the entire success sequence owes it to all the coaches, volunteers, Youth Leaders, Area Directors and stake holders without whose determined support and passionate contribution this accomplishment wouldn t have seen the light of the day. Breaking new ground, making headway, Special Olympics Bharat unceasingly raises the bar of success, thus perfecting the quote Teamwork is the secret that make common people achieve uncommon result.and here we are. Turning the tides and reinventing the course of our collective and inclusive future! Let s keep going. Well done, Bravo Zulu!! Dr. Cdr KARTIKAY SAINI 5

7 SPECIAL OLYMPICS INTERNATIONAL A GLOBAL MOVEMENT WHICH USES SPORT AS A CATALYST TO TRANSFORMS THE LIVES The Foundation Founded by Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 in the USA. Spread to 172 Countries. Program recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Covers over 35 Olympic Type Games for the Summer and Winter Olympics. Aug 2009 Eunice Kennedy Shriver passes away Carrying Forward the Legacy Dr Tim Shriver Chairman & CEO from 2009 Introduces change - Prepared a Global 5 year Strategic Plan Introduced major holistic and value- added reforms Introduced unified sports on a large scale Broadened vision beyond ID Persons too include all likeminded partners Renewed commitment to Sustained Quality Growth Transited from a Program to a Movement Introduced a new Community -orientated Strategic Plan Provided additional funding for significant funding for initiatives We do even more than bring the joy of sports to persons with Intellectual Disability: we Provide life transforming experiences for Athletes, Coaches and Volunteers alike: we encourage a powerful spirit of volunteerism in the communities: you foster peace and understanding: we help establish human rights: and ultimately, you send a message of compassion, inclusion and acceptance for all. By performing these service, our Program allows Special Olympics Athletes to work at their best and in turn, they help us to see the world differently and create a world of beauty without vanity, victory without conquest and respect without judgment Dr Tim Shriver We Celebrate and reaffirm the enduring and guiding nature of our current Mission, while acknowledging the need to better articulate our unique model of change, value proposition and scope of involvement SOI 2010 The story begins...and once upon a time 6

8 Nothing happens but first a dream The Beginning: Every Movement has a heart and a story. Ours began because of one woman, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, deeply loved her sister. She became furious about the neglect and indifference she saw towards her sister and others with Intellectual Disabilities. She had deep faith that everyone counts and she loved sports. In a moment that literally changed the world, she saw how sports can transform the lives of those who shared the challengers of her sister. Special Olympics was born on this compassion, fury and action. 7

9 Organization and Development Organization Structure- National Office National Office Staff 8

10 States under Each Region 9

11 Member of the Board of Trustees, Special Olympics Bharat Term: 3 Yrs Max terms served: 3 SN Name Role Office held 1 Commander Kartikay Saini 2 Air Marshal Denzil Keelor 3 Mr. Bibek Bardhan 4 Dr Mallika Nadda Chairman Trustee Emeritus Vice Chairman Vice Chairman Chairman, Scottish High International School; Vice President Special Olympics Bharat, Haryana Founder Special Olympics Bharat President, Special Olympics Bharat-West Bengal President, Chetna NGO, Himachal 5 Dr. Amitav Mishra Secretary &Treasurer President, Special Olympics Bharat-UP 6 Mr. Satish Pillai Member Former Advisor to MD TATA Steel; Director, Procam International 7 Father Roy Member Area Director SO Bharat- Kerala 8 Group Captain Sekhon 9 Neeti Saxena Member Member Medical Specialist Area Director, Special Olympics Bharat- Delhi 10 Dr. P.S.M Chandran Member Medical Consultant, All India Football Federation 11 Dr. Anjana Goswami Member Area Director, Special Olympics Bharat-Assam 12 Neha Naik Member Global Messenger 10

12 Area Directors with Dr Tm Shriver Dr Shriver- to the Area Directors: Continue to focus on quality. Continue to ensure that the Athlete has a chance to be accepted- whatever the ability level is; ensuring that every Athlete has a chance to improve, to strive, to get a little bit better. Without quality the Special Olympics movement is a myth but with quality it s a transformation Area Directors with Ms Mary Davis 11

13 MISSION We celebrate now and always that our Athletes are at the centre of and the heart of our Movement International Region National State Games District Games Competitions Competitions Games Healthy Athlete Programs Unified Sports Project unify Unified Activity Youth Engagement SOGII Young Athletes Programs Family Programs Youth Engagement ATHLETE EXPERIENCE Mission Statement The Mission of Special Olympics is to provide year round Sports Training and competition in a variety of Olympics type Sports for children and adults with intellectual disability, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. Registration and Training of new Athletes Special Olympics Global Strategy National Championships National Coaching Camps ACTC Courses GMS training Community Coaches Training Inter- School Competitions Local Programs 12

14 Reach 2017 Strategic Growth- Vision Item Per Year Plan Athletes Target 1,310, ,000 1,10,000 1,15, Achieved 1,304,639 1,02,230 10,000 10,000 10, Coaches Target Achieved 137,617 10, ,000 Volunteers 5000/yr Achieved 79, Families Target 100,000 1,00,000 30,000 Achieved 100,841 1,02,130 Strategy is a sense of direction around which to improvise 13

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16 UNIFIED SPORTS: 31 December

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18 Global Impact of SO Bharat SO BHARAT accounts for 25 % of the Global Strength of Athletes Asia Pacific- Regional Impact of SO Bharat In the Asia Pacific Region of 28 Countries, SO Bharat accounts for more than 80% of the Regional Strength of Athletes and Coaches SO Bharat of the Regional Total of 25 Countries 17% SO Bharat 83% Others 17

19 Program Information Profile (Jan to Dec 2017) Metric Total Number of Competitions (traditional and Unified) ,714 Number of Unified Competitions ,921 Total number of Volunteers ,078 Number of Youth Volunteers (aged 8-25) ,674 Number of Athlete Leaders ,429 An Athlete Leader is a Special Olympics Athlete who is actively involved in a leadership role during the calendar year. Number of Youth Leaders (aged 8-25) ,642 A Youth Leader is an individual with or without an intellectual disability age 8-25 who is actively involved in a leadership role during the calendar year Total Number of Registered Family Members ,226 Number of Family Leaders ,467 Total Number of Schools Engaged in Special Olympics ,834 Number of Unified Schools ,754 A School Engaged in Unified Sports is a pre-school, primary school, secondary school, college or University offering Unified Sports opportunities to its participants. Number of Unified Champion Schools A Unified Champion School is a school or university that promotes inclusion by implementing activities in each of three components: 1) Unified Sports, 2) Inclusive Youth Leadership AND 3) Whole School Engagement, within this calendar year. Total Number of Local Clubs/Programs NA 3,417 A Local Club / Program is an organized local unit / branch offering Special Olympics activities in a community. Number of Local Clubs/Programs conducting Unified Sports (executing Unified Schools) A Unified Sports Club is a is an organization where a Unified Sport team comes together to participate in Unified Sports activities within their sport club at least 2 times in the calendar year. NA 83 18

20 PERFORMANCE OF SO BHARAT IN WORLD GAMES SUMMARY OF RESULTS FOR THE WORLD SUMMER GAMES Year Place Athletes Coaches HOD Total Gold Silver Bronze TTotal 1987 USA USA USA USA Ireland China Greece Australia L A Abu Dhabi SUMMARY OF RESULTS OF THE WORLD WINTER GAMES Year Place Athletes Coaches Hod Total Gold Silver Bronze Total 1993 Austria Canada USA Japan USA S Korea Austria

21 Administration and Strategic Growth Annual Cost of Administration Level of Operating Operating Detail of Expenditure Offices Cost INR Cost US$ 1-National Uncovered Expenditure 90,00, Office 3-Regional Offices 31 State Offices 600 District Offices Rs.50,000 per month for 12 months for 3 Regions Rs,50,000 per month for 12 month for 31 States Rs.10,000 per District per Month for 600 Districts TOTALS 101,400,000 18,00, ,86,00, ,20,00, CRG.05 Source of Funding SOI 75 % SOB 25% State 70 % SOB 30 % State 50 % SOB 50 % SOB 50 % State 50 % SOI 6% SOB 35% STATE 59% Annual Cost of Strategic Growth Items Numbers Rate Cost INR Cost US$ % Funding Athletes 100,000 Trainers 1,200 Coaches 10,000 US $ 5 Per Athlete US $ 70 Per Trainer US $ 15 Per Coach 22,500, CRG.20 37,80, ,50, Totals 33,030, SOI 30 % SOB 70 % Govt. 80 % SOB 20 % Govt. 75 % SOB 25 % Govt. 15 % SOI 20 % SOB 65 % Annual Cost of Strategic Growth & Administration Items Numbers Rate Cost INR Cost US$ mil % Funding Athletes 100,000 US $ 5 Per Athlete Trainers 1,200 US $ 70 Per Trainer Coaches 10,000 US $ 15 Per Coach Admin. 1 National 3 Regions 31 States 600 Districts Total Cost Ratio Ops. 36 % Admin 64 %. 2,25,00, (CRG 0.2) SOI 30 % SOB 70 % 37,80, Govt. 75 % SOB 25 % 67,50, Govt. 75 % SOB 25 % 10,14,00, SOI 6 % SOB 35 % STATE 59% 13,44,30, Cr4 1.92mil SOI 10 % SOB 90 % 20

22 Administration and Strategic Growth Cost in Cr AdminCost Str. Growth Total 3.3 A Tribute to Our Volunteer Coaches The annual cost of 120,000 coaches registered and trained by SO Bharat: 120,000 coaches / 5,000/year per coach = $600 mil. This massive contribution in KIND is not included in the costing table above. We don t exist to provide, service to a single group. We are here to change society and demonstrate that change involves all of us. We facilitate and engage in experiences that are transformative not just for our Athletes but for all who engage with open hearts and mind Dr. Tim Shriver, Global Strategic Plan2011 t An Overview of SO Bharat Program AN OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS AQUATICS BHARAT ATHLETICS 31 DECEMBER SPORTS BADMINTON / BASKETBALL BOCCE CRICKET CYCLING GOLF HANDBALL NET BALL POWER LIFTING ROLLER SKATING SOCCER SOFTBALL TABLE TENNIS VOLLEYBALL FLOOR HOCKEY FLOOR BALL ALPINE SKIING SNOW SHOEING Athletes 14, 04,750; Coaches 1, 30,564; Trainers 7,186; Volunteers 85,078; Families 2,09, 226 ID Population in India is 30 million + (WHO 3 %) 36 States / U T S Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Dadar Nagar & Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, J&K, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, M.P., Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal 21

23 Special Olympics Global Strategy Goal 1: Improve opportunities for athletes to perform at their best Special Olympics will improve the quality of programs, and broaden access to them. This means strengthening our focus on sports programming, supported by our health work, so that athletes are fit and healthy, master skills, build confidence and selfreliance and perform at their best on and off the field. As we do this, Special Olympics will use its expertise to be a leader on how to achieve inclusion in and through sport, and improve access to the effective programs we have, more than creating new ones. 22

24 SPORTS Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 Austria Build Up for the World Games Venue Dates Sport Disciplines Campers Additional Programs Dharampur, Solan, Himachal Pradesh December 2015 Floor Hockey 538 Healthy Athletes- Opening Eyes & Special Smiles; Youth Activation & Family Forum Bilaspur, Pradesh Himachal 2-7 February 2016 Floor Ball 511 Healthy Athletes- Special Smiles; Youth Activation Narkanda,Shimla, Himachal Pradesh 4-9 March 2016 Snow Sports- Alpine Skiing, Snow Boarding, Snow Shoeing 192 Gulmarg, J&K Srinagar, 29 April- 4 May 2016 Snow Sports- Alpine Skiing, Snow Boarding, Snow Shoeing 96 23

25 Gurgaon, Haryana 8-13 May 2016 Figure Skating & Speed skating 137 Solan, Himachal Pradesh 5-10 June 2016 Unified Floor Ball 300 Chaderghat, Hyderabad, Telangana July 2016 Floor Ball, Unified Floorball & Floor Hockey 148 Jamshedpur, Jharkhand December 2016 Floor Ball, Unified Floor ball & Floor Hockey Healthy Athletes- Fitfeet & Special Smiles Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, (December 2015) the then Hon ble Union Minister of State Independent Charge, Youth Affairs & Sports, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, With the kind support of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi we have revised The assistance to National Sports Federation scheme and Special Olympics Bharat will be the first beneficiary to receive this revised scheme. I feel the necessity of top class facilities for training of Special athletes of our country and we have decided to start a training centre with all modern facilities made available to them. 24

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27 Floor Hockey Floor Ball 26

28 Snow Sports- Alpine Skiing, Snow Boarding and Snow Shoeing 27

29 Figure Skating & Speed Skating We celebrate now and always, that our Athletes are at the centre of our work and the heart of our movement. It s not about us but about them Global Strategy

30 Participation at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 Austria A delegation of 140 Athletes, Coaches, (89 Athletes and 23 Coaches) Staff, Officials, families and Youth Leaders represented Special Olympics Bharat at the Special Olympics World Winter Games The contingent returned to India on 25 March 2017 with a rich haul of 37 Gold, 10 Silver and 26 bronze totalling 73 Medals following participation in 7 sports namely, Alpine Skiing, Snow Boarding, Snow Shoeing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Floor Hockey, Floor Ball (and Unified floor Ball). The Contingent represents 18 states of India, namely: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, West Bengal 29

31 Sport Discipline Gold Silver Bronze Total Snowshoeing- 100mtrs Snowshoeing- 50mtrs 1 2 Alpine Skiing (Novice Giant Slalom) Alpine Skiing (Slalom) Snow Boarding (Novice Giant Slalom) Snow Boarding (Slalom) 2 2 Speed Skating( 111mtrs) Figure Skating 1 1 Floor Hockey Female Floor Hockey Male Unified Floor ball Male 6 6 Floor ball Traditional Male 8 8 Total The Special Olympics World Games held from March 2017, including the host town program, featured nine winter sports in venues located in the cities of Graz, Schladming and Ramsau witnessing participation of 2,500 Special Olympics Athletes from 105 nations. A spectacular Opening Ceremony at the Stadium Planai in Schladming on March 18th signalled the beginning of eight days of sporting competition. In terms of participation India stood fourth, with Austria pitching the largest number of Athletes at 316, followed by USA at 139 and Canada at 108 Send Off Best of luck to Team SO Bharat- Hon ble Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Minister,Shri Vijay Goel; Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment & Ms Neelam Pratap Rudy 30

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33 Send Off at the Residence of Mr. JP Nadda, Union Health Minister ESPN Crew s Visit to India to film Shikha Rani On 10 March an ESPN crew of 4 persons travelled to India to film Shikha Rani, Athlete from Una, Himachal Pradesh. They went to Shikha s residence as well as visited Prem Ashram, her school here she practises skating. Conversations and interviews with persons close to Shikha followed, including Ravi Kumar, her Coach and Mentor. Shikha secured a fourth position in Figure Skating at the World Games 32

34 At The World Games Venue- Austria Mary Davis, CEO, SOI along with her team welcomed the SO Bharat delegation at the airport in Austria 33

35 The Host town Program for the Indian delegation was organized by the Lions Clubs International Multidistrict 114. From the Vienna Airport in Schwechat the contingent was taken the Hotel Jufa City Idlhofgasse Opening Ceremony Despite a downpour on 18 March 2017, over persons walked towards the Planai Stadium, Schladming to witness the opening ceremony that continued for three hours. Megha, Athlete-Alpine Skiing from Himachal Pradesh was also the torch bearer at the opening ceremony alongside Ella Sharples from SO New Zealand representing the Asia Pacific Region 34

36 Lions Clubs Centennial Lions Clubs International celebrated 100 years of global service on 17 March 2017 in Schladming. Senior representatives of SO Bharat participated in the celebrations in the gracious presence of the International Director Aruna Oswal, Lions Clubs International 35

37 Healthy Athlete Screenings The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program, made possible by the Golisano Foundation, started on 19 March offering Healthy Athletes screenings for all athletes competing at Games, running 7 hours daily at Messe Graz. The disciplines that athletes get screened in includes: Fit Feet, FUNFitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Strong Minds a discipline piloted for the first time at the Special Olympics World Winter Games Young Athletes A Young Athletes Demonstration took place at the Convention Center Graz (part of Messe Graz). Ten children with intellectual disabilities from a local kindergarten participated in floor ball activities to showcase the skills learned in Young Athletes and how they translate to future sports participation 36

38 Special Olympics Global Youth Leadership Summit: Social Impact for a Unified Generation: Leadership and Project Management Special Olympics hosted the Global Youth Summit from 16 March, 2017 to 22 March, 2017 as part of the Special Olympics World Games 2017 in Graz, Austria. 44 participants between 18-25yrs from 18 countries and seven US states convened for training and mentorship on how to make their communities more inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities. Most of the Youth leaders were in Unified Pairs With Ms Renu Nagpal of Apeejay School Pitampura as Mentor, Parth Aggarwal from Apeejay School Pitampura Delhi, Neeraj Goyal from Upasna Special School Delhi and Hridey Sahgal from The International School Bangalore (TISB) represented India at the summit. Parth and Neeraj s project aims to upgrade skills of persons with Intellectual disabilities with participation of other school youth leaders, across an exciting range of photography, aerobics & animation, attempting to make it an annual feature and also exploring mass scale platforms to showcase the same. Hridey s Swimathon, which kicked off in March 2016 raising funds over 1.5 million would reach out to more states along with expanding within the state of Karnataka, involving more school youth leaders. The Summit in Austria included sessions on inclusive leadership skills, helping the youth to identify their own leadership style, and how to work with and influence others 37

39 GMS- Games Management System The GMS was set up from March 2017 at Schladming with volunteers from Alaska, Ireland, Netherlands, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium and India, overseen by Mr Reuben Silva from SOI, USA. Sulekha Rana represented SO Bharat recording entries across Alpine Skiing and Snow Boarding while working closely with Andy Haffer from SO Great Britain and Paul Hertogh from SO Netherlands Sports Competitions Alpine Skiing Figure Skating Snow shoeing Snow boarding Speed Skating Floor Hockey Floor Ball (Traditional & Unified) Special Olympics Bharat (SO Bharat) participated in 7 out of the 9 sport disciplines featuring the World Games; Nordic Skiing and Stick shooting being the ones which did not see participation from India. India sent a female as well as male team in each of the team sports including Floor Hockey, Floorball and Unified Floor Ball. Representation of 89 Athletes and 23 Coaches at the World Games came from 18 states of India 38

40 Participation Sports Discipline Athletes Coaches Total Male Female Male Female Alpine Skiing Snow Boarding Snow Shoeing Nil 5 Figure Skating Nil 5 Speed Skating 1 1 Nil 1 3 Floor Hockey Floor Ball Unified Floor Ball (Unified Partner) (Unified Partner) Total (Athletes + Coaches + Unified Partners) HOD 1 1 AHOD Total 116 Alpine Skiing 39

41 Snow Boarding Snow Shoeing 40

42 Figure Skating Speed Skating 41

43 Floor Hockey While the Male team played four matches with Lithunia, Hong Kong, Sweden and Nippon the female team played two matches with Spain and Austria. SO Bharat (Male) clashed with Lithuania in the final confrontation scoring 7-2 to win the Gold Medal. The Female team finished with a Bronze win. Floor Ball The Male team played 5 matches with Cote d'ivoire, Ireland, Germany and Argentina before the final match with Austria winning 8-0. The Female team played Uruguay, Austria, Cyprus, Israel and Gibralter, securing the 6 th place 42

44 Unified Floor Ball While the Female team comprised of 4 Athletes and 3 Unified Partners, the Male team was composed of 5 Athletes and 4 Unified partners. The Male team played Indonesia, Mexico, Namibia before a final clash with Nigeria, winning Gold at 5-2. The Female team played 5 matches with Burkina Faso, Cote d'ivoire, Mongolia, Namibia and Serendib securing the 5 th position The Unified Floorball Team Female secured the 5th place while the Female Floorball (traditional) team ranked 6th Award Ceremonies Medal ceremonies were held simultaneously from 19 March through 24 March The SO Bharat Medal tally closed at 73 Medals won by 64 Athletes across all Individual and team events. 43

45 Closing Ceremony A speech by Arnold Schwarzenegger and grand fireworks in the sky over Graz announced the closing of the Special Olympics World Winter Games The Closing Ceremony was held on 24 March 2017 at the Liebenau stadium, Graz with more than 15,000 people witnessing the event. The show that lasted about one and a half hours offered a mix of typically Styrian elements, and energetic international dance and acrobatics performances. The flame of hope lay at the heart of the speech by Siegfried Nagl, mayor of Graz. The flame might be gone but the fire is still burning. It served to remind that the impulse that the Games had set must not go out again. 44

46 Welcome Back Champions! The Indian contingent arrived from the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 held in Austria on the intervening night of 25 and 26 March 2017,amidst much celebration and euphoria on 26 March 2017 glittering with 73 Medals. Air Marshal Denzil Keelor Founder & CEO, SO Bharat, was present at the airport to personally welcome and laud participation of each and every athlete Herbalife International India The SO Bharat contingent received an exclusive reception by Herbalife on 27 March 2017 at Hotel Park, CP, New Delhi. Present at the occasion were India s leading sports stars, Mary Kom, Boxer, Saina Nehwal, Badminton player and Heena Sidhu 10M Air Pistol Shooter.Mr Ajay Khanna, Vice President & Country Head Herbalife International India, welcomed the audience, expressing immense pride, delight and amazement at the achievements of the Athletes 45

47 Welcome by Hon ble Minister Youth Affairs & sports- Shri Vijay Goelji In the evening of the 27th the Minister of Sports, Shri Vijay Goelji invited the Athletes to his residence in Delhi upholding their achievements and blessing them for contributing substantially to the nation s pride 46

48 For the World Games participation SO Bharat is Grateful to: 47

49 3rd South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament 2017 The 3rd South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament was held from 1-4 December 2017 at RDT Ananthapur Andhra Pradesh India. Held under the aegis of the Special Olympics-Asia Pacific Regional office, the event was supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, Government of Andhra Pradesh, the Rural Development Trust (RDT), the Lions Clubs International and the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust. The Lions Clubs International and Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust support highlighted their joint commitment, Mission Inclusion: Bharat, which promises to augment promotion of Health needs and Unified Sports for SO Bharat. Each country played two matches of 20 overs each. SO bharat played two, one each with SO Serendib and SO Bangladesh. SO Bangladesh won the series defeating both the countries. The tournament witnessed teams from SO Bangladesh, SO Serendib and SO Bharat participating in Unified Cricket on the 2nd and 3rd of December This was the third edition of the tournament, with the previous two held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2014 and Unified Cricket matches were held at the RDT (Rural Development Trust) ASA grounds, following the Opening Ceremony held the previous day Mr. Moncho Ferrer, Program Director, RDT and Chairman, Organizing Committee RDT has great privilege in welcoming all the special athletes to South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament. A rare occasion for the inclusion for integration A global village, crossing barriers and carrying a spirit of unity. 48

50 Special Olympics Golf Masters Macau tournament 2017 Ankush Saha, Kushagra Gaur and Ranveer Saini, the Golfing trio from SO Bharat once again competed at the Special Olympics Golf Masters Macau Tournament, held from 16th April to 22nd April They played 2 rounds of Golf at Level 5, the highest level, in a 36-hole tournament. While Ranveer won a gold medal Kushagra and Ankush won a bronze medal each, playing the senior category. The tournament was played under tough weather conditions of rain and winds upto speed of 30 knots and wet greens View It is a par 71 course, with hazards, lakes and OB (out of bounds) on almost every hole. Our athletes dared it all and endured with patience and professionalism - Dr. (Cmdr.) Kartikay Saini, Chairman, SO Bharat 49

51 SOBharat Female Football Team debuts the International Arena In a magnanimous play of skill and power the female team of SO Bharat won Silver in their very first kick off at an International event. SO Bharat was one of the six participating teams at the Special Olympics Malaysia Invitational Unified 5-A-Side Football Tournament held from November 2017 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While there was participation of one team each from SO Bharat and SO Serendib, SO Malaysia and SO Indonesia pitched in two. The SO Bharat contingent of 10 comprised of 6 Athletes and 2 Unified Partners led by Monali Kargaokar Head Coach and Samantha D Costa, Head of Delegation. A closely fought final match between SO Bharat and SO Indonesia B made Indonesia the winners of the tournament. Samantha D Costa : I have seen these Athletes grow into a family, the way they respected each other, the way they coordinated with each other was truly mind boggling. After every match I would see the partners motivate the Athletes. The partners played exceptionally well alongside the Athletes. Seeing the coordination within the team I knew that we had already won 50

52 National State Districts MYAS National Games 6-10 June 2017 Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 51

53 Over 850 Athletes, Coaches, Staff, Volunteers and officials from 19 States participated in the Special Olympics National Games for all disabilities with the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), Government of India and the Sports Authority of India. Athletics, Aquatics, Bocce, Football, Table Tennis and Badminton were the sports conducted during the Games 52

54 National Coaching Camp Haryana- Netball May

55 262 Special Athletes from 16 States participated at the Netball Camp held at Little Angels School, Sonipat, Haryana from May 2017.Preliminary Games were conducted in order to put the teams in different divisions according to their abilities. The Selection Committee selected probables for the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2019 Seven experts from the Netball Federation of India (NFI) participated in the Camp guiding the Athletes and Coaches, where required. It may be recalled, a Netball Coaches training was held for the first time in May 2016 in Sonipat with the same team of NFI trainers taking the lead. This was followed by a Coaching Camp held simultaneously in Haryana and West Bengal in November 2016, in Netball 54

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57 National Coaching Camps - Powerlifting & Table Tennis July Campers from 15 States participated at the Powerlifting Camp (Male & Female) held at the Rajgaurav hall, Kadamvari, Kolhapur from 9-14 July A Coaching Camp of Table Tennis was held from July 2017 at the Gaushala Maidan Sports Complex,Jodhpur Rajasthan witnessing participation of 206 Campers from 18 states of India Focus during both camps was on extending special coaching upcoming Special Olympics World Summer Games at Abu Dhabi in National Coaching Camp- Golf Special Olympics Bharat took golf on a flightpath at the Golf National Coaching Camp cum Championship 2017, held at the DLF Golf& Country Club Gurugram from 12th November to 17th November 2017.This championship was also the selection trial to select probables for the World Games 2019 at Abu Dhabi.The tournament witnessed a turnout of 14 champion golfers from all over the country who commenced playing Level 1 on 13th 56

58 November The qualifying participants contested for the level 2 and level 3 on Nov 15th that culminated in the finals (level 5) held on the 16th of November The SO Bharat Golfing trio, Ranveer, Kushagra and Ankush continued showing their ever growing Golfing skills. Ranveer Singh Saini finished the final round with a lead of 17 strokes and winning 4 GOLD MEDALS in all 4 competitions. Kushagra Gaur from Gurugram bagged 3 Bronze and 1 Silver and Ankush Saha from Bangalore bagged 3 Silver and 1Bronze in the 4 competitions Sports from the States West Bengal Much excitement was seen at the SAI grounds Salt Lake, Kolkata as the State Athletic Meet was conducted in December Nearly 1100 participants including athletes, escorts and volunteers participated in the event. The participants represented 11 districts and 33 schools along with individual volunteers. The inaugural ceremony was attended by representatives from the State Govt., the Bengal Olympics Association and Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The athletes took part in a colorful March Past proceeding to participating in the Athletic events of their own ability level. 57

59 Odisha Ability is Unlimited was the message voiced aloud, in unison by the dignitaries and manifested through sports with Special Olympics stepping in the sixth edition of this Annual Kasturi festival. Special Olympics added sports to the festival, with a 5-a-side Unified Football preceded by Coaches training held the day before, with participation from 5 districts of Western Odisha at Gandhi Field Sonepur. Both, the Coaches training as well as Unified football were led by the National Trainer, Mr Umakant Sarangi and the State level Trainer, Mr Trinath Samal, continuing percolation of Unified Sports at the Community and School levels. 400 children with and without Intellectual Disabilities engaged together in the 5 day long festival of fun, joy and learning Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired Odisha collaborates with SO Bharat Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired (CAVI), Odisha recently announced the names of 22 probable players of Odisha Cricket Team of Women with Vision Impairment to participate in the 1st Inter State Women s Cricket Tournament for the Blind scheduled to take place from October 2 to 4, 2017 at Ranchi, Jharkhand. CAVI, Odisha and SOBharat - Odisha jointly held the State Level Tournament for Women Cricketers with Vision Impairment from 31st March to 1st April 2017 at Bhadrak. The teams vying for honours in this tournament will be Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat. Special Olympics Bharat-Odisha supports the Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired (CAVI), Odisha in conducting State and Regional (Eastern India) tournaments. Mr Prakasha Rath, Area Director, SO Bharat- Odisha : With such collaborations it would be able to advance inclusion and to promote protection and realization of the rights of the persons with disabilities through sports UNIFIED SPORTS You are the stars and the world is watching you. By your presence, you send a message to every village, every city, every nation. A message of hope. A message of victory Eunice Kennedy Shriver 58

60 Launched in 2010 to commemorate the life and spirit of the founder of the Special Olympics movement, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day is a celebration of her achievements, inspiration, and values she represents to this day compassion, tolerance, love, and a passion for social justice and equality. Starting in 2017, Special Olympics will observe Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day on 20 July, the anniversary of the first ever Games held at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, USA in This date marks the transformational moment when Eunice Kennedy Shriver changed the game and let the world witness the greatness of Special Olympics Athletes. Special Olympics Bharat dedicates the month of July 2017 to spread the spirit of Inclusion across the length and breadth of India, in celebration of Ms Shriver s legacy #Choosetoinclude EKS Day Highlights Year 2017: Indian Dental Association Mumbai- Dental Screenings Scottish High International School Gurgaon- Youth Activation & Unified Football Special Olympics Bharat- Delhi Young Athletes doctors stand united in their commitment to Inclusion through extending Dental care to Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and education the larger community in the urgency of their Oral hygiene. Dental screenings and workshops were held across a few states between 20 th and 27 th July 2017, averaging 80 Athletes per screening. The project commenced with 48 Athletes screening at the IDA headquarters in Mumbai conducted by 4 Dentists. Teachers Training Programs were held in 4 special schools in Mumbai and 4 in other states including Telangana, New Delhi, UP and Gujarat.150 Athletes were screened in New Delhi and Mumbai. A new website page was created for Athletes to fix appointments at the IDA member clinics located in their respective hometowns, all in coordination with the State Area Directors and facilitated through a central monitoring system in Mumbai 59

61 60

62 Unified Cricket Special Athletes hit new innings creating cherish-able moments In a contrast of sorts the month of November stirred much excitement as it tested flexibility of Special Athletes on the pitch. While they batted the ball with Mr Kevin Martinez, VP Corporate citizenship, ESPN who perhaps launched a maiden attempt at Cricket, another event in the city threw them in a tizzy as they faced none other than the Cricket legend himself, Mr Sachin Tendulkar. On 3 November 2017 two Unified teams- Delhi Heros and Delhi Stars confronted each other in a friendly duel on the cricket pitch at Frank Anthony Public School (FAPS) New Delhi in a 6 over Match. This was a Unified Cricket friendly match witnessed by Mr Kevin Martinez, VP Corporate citizenship, ESPN. The distinguished guest notched up the excitement by batting alongside the Delhi Stars pairing with Suman, SO Bharat Athlete (and now Coach Asst). The two teams composed of 24 Athletes and 6 Unified Partners (15 players in each team). The Unified Partners were from the Don Bosco Cricket Academy 61

63 On 20 November 2017 Two SO Bharat Unified Cricket teams engaged in an exhibition match at the Thyagraj Stadium, New Delhi during UNICEF s World Children s Day celebrations. The SO Bharat teams, Delhi Lions and Delhi Heros, with 8 Athletes and 3 Unified Partners each, were captained by Sachin Tendulkar and Justin Forsyth, UNICEF s Deputy Executive Director, respectively. All were excited to receive guidance from Mr Sachin Tendulkar, Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF South Asia. Donning the Play unified T shirt, Sachin Tendulkar s involvement flowing right through setting the pitch to guiding 62

64 players of the opponent as well, drawing focus on the techniques along with cheering and motivating, united everyone through a stirring experience in a 30-minute, 5 over match India Spurs End of Season celebrations- with Unified Football 63

65 Frank Anthony Public School, Lajpat Nagar, Delhi hosted the Unified 5-a-side Football event on 13 May 2017 with SO Bharat Athletes and India Spurs members playing as teammates. The school has been the venue for regular Spurs and SO Bharat Unified football sessions since January

66 The Spurs End of Season celebrations ran its third year with the earlier two conducted in Bangalore (2015) and Mumbai (2016). All three have had the Athletes participate, with each year showing a stronger and more meaningful Athlete participation. Spurs members 65

67 travelled from different parts of the country and few even from outside of India to participate in the event. A Meeting was held at the Frank Anthony Public School Bengaluru on 23 May 2017 which, witnessed participation of stakeholders in differing capacities to fuel the SO Bharat and Spurs Unified Football Sessions. Mr Corin Wilson, First Secretary, Advanced Engineering, India, Department for International Trade, British Deputy High Commission, Bengaluru- to explore avenues of supporting the program on a long term basis along with playing himself with the Athletes Following the meeting a two-day Coach Development workshop held on 10 th and 11 th June 2017 at Frank Anthony Public School Bangalore. The trainees engaged with 53 Athletes who joined the next day for a delivery session. MM Khurram and Samantha D Costa led the sessions on both days, rolling out the Tottenham Module of football for Social Change, with Mr Victor R Vaz overseeing the comprehensive implementation of the Workshop. 9 Bangalore Spurs along with the SO Bharat Coaches participated, preparing for regular Unified football sessions slated to commence from the second week of July 66

68 Rohit Karna, India Spurs - I was certainly taken aback when I saw the athletes bustling into rough challenges, not afraid to take a shot on! To see them smiling with every pass, cheering every goal, and to see the parents in attendance backing them on at the top of their voices, and some even with a tear in their eye, was an incredible experience MM Khurram, It was encouraging to observe that the trainees had comprehended lessons appropriately for practical application. Despite first time engagement with the Athletes they were able to assess them individually and break drills into simpler steps to enable them to follow It was encouraging to see growing interest of the trainees. For an example, Principal of a Special School who had come to only leave her Coaches for the training and continue with her prior commitments, stayed on all day. Later when asked why she hadn t left, she said, This is awesome. I don t want to leave it incomplete. I want to be personally involved in delivering this training to my Athletes 67

69 It was a great experience engaging with the Athletes. While the training was going on, we were texting to more members and were also receiving texts from them to include them in future. So, with more spurs members interested to join, with families interested to see this Unified activity going..it all looks very positive. I think we re good to go! - Anoop, Head- Bangalore Spurs Entering the Football Grounds with Bangalore Spurs July 2017 saw a new beginning of SO Bharat engagement with the SO Bharat Athletes at the Frank Anthony Public School Bangalore. The Unified Football sessions with Bangalore Spurs began in the second week of July at Frank Anthony Public School, following participation of Coaches having been trained in Bangalore- the spurs way! 9 Unified football sessions till February 2018 have been conducted with an average of 15 Athletes and 10 Coaches attending it each day. Corin Wilson attends regularly planning and executing the sessions as per laid out Session plans 68

70 Unified Football Chennai Unified Football was held from 2-7 October 2017 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Chennai with participation of 16 States of India. There were 15 teams of below 21 yrs and 11 teams of ages 25 and below with a total of 180 Athletes and 60 Unified partners including 10 female players. Opening Eyes and Special Smiles screenings were conducted with all the participating Athletes on 4 th and 5 th October

71 Jammu & Kashmir- With the Jail Inmates Third of March 2017 saw the Central Jail, Kot Balwal, Jammu in a different light. Hard core criminals addressed as Kaidi number (inmate number) changed into new T shirts the fabric of which stirred anxiety and excitement. It was no task they were going for but they were entering the sports arena created within the jail campus amidst much celebration and cheers; they were going to Play Unified with Special Athletes in the presence of persons. The program that followed broke the déjà vu of all the news of terrorism, protest, turmoil and disaster from the picturesque regions of Jammu and Kashmir. In an overwhelming moment an inmate wearing the Special Olympics t shirt, expressed himself- I am overcome with a feeling of regret of what I have done in the past. How honourable is this day, how extraordinary is this experience for me. I hope I can do this again. Special Olympics Unified Sports was slated to be part of the Stress Management Program conducted in the jail. A session was held for 3 hours, days prior to the event, followed by a survey and selection of inmates who were considered fit to play 70

72 With Amity University NOIDA UP - nurturing a Unified Generation Continuing to keep the association strong and relevant the Amity University held a Special Olympics Unified Sports training at the Campus on 21 st and 22 nd of September The training was led by by MM Khurram and Sagar Chaudhary who were assisted by Suresh and Siddhant Nath. 80 students of the Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences(AIRS) and Amity School of Physical Education & Sports Sciences(ASPESS) participated in the program The training rolled out the fundamentals and models of Unified sports through indoor theory sessions along with on field application of the same through demonstrations and simulation practises specifically in Unified Bocce and Football. The trainees delivered a session engaging directly with 20 Athletes who joined them on the second day, being assessed and evaluated by the resource team Gujarat- Nirma University Gandhi Nagar The Campus cricket grounds of Nirma University, Ahmedabad experienced new energy & excitement as 90 students of their department Unified with 90 Special Athletes across Bocce and Floorball under guidance of 30 Coaches. The Athletes helped the Unified partners understand the two sports, never played before on campus. The Unified event was organized by the NSS 71

73 Club of the Nirma University and YOU NEED, a student based organization along with the Gujarat Chapter of SO Bharat. 100 volunteers steered the day-long program planning logistics leading to Unified sports and recreation, not leaving out the selfies, before concluding the day Goa- Sharada Mandir School The Special Olympics- Goa State Athletic Meet held at the Bambolin Stadium was a culmination of the year long golden jubilee celebrations of the city s Sharada Mandir School, held in January this year. The school had their students participate as unified partners in Basketball, Table Tennis and Badminton last year. Standing tall in his commitment towards Inclusion through Sports, Mr Dattaraj Salgaocar, Chairman of the school as well as the Vice- Chairman,Ms. Dipti Salgaocar, unfurled the Special Olympics flag. Air Marshal Keelor, presided over the function, sharing his Airforce experiences with the intrigued audience while conveying a message of determination and perseverance Play Unified Stay Unified- Karnataka In the past few months the state of Karnataka has reached out to persons from diverse backgrounds through varied Unified activities. Unified Cricket brought the Prasar Bharti 72

74 employees in close contact with the Athletes. The Athletes were shown the recording studio and their experiences, which were recorded and also played during the hampi festival celebrated in the first week of November. The Station head even spoke about talking about abilities of the Athletes in a regular program Unified Sports Festival Chennai For the fourth consecutive year Madras Table 10 along with Special Olympics Bharat- Tamil Nadu organized a Unified Sports Festival featuring Unified Athletics, Bocce and Throw ball played by 1000 Athletes and 800 Unified Partners. The event was held on 21 January 2017 at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium using Indoor and Outdoor grounds. The event was inaugurated by the Director Income-Tax, Chennai, Shri Joe Sebastian and was also witnessed by the cine star Santhanam who volunteered to involve his communications team for audio visual recording of the event. The mega Annual event had an overall presence of 2500 persons. A demonstrative recreational Young Athlete Program was conducted with 120 Young Athlete across Bocce and Athletics. The energy and enthusiasm around it has further inspired the State committee to officially format the Young Athletes Program into the line up next year. 73

75 Coaches Training Tottenham Hotspur Foundation- Coaching Clinic Module II at Goa A four day workshop was conducted from 5 8 September 2017 at Don Bosco Panjim Goa with two additional days of training, 9 & 10 September 2017, extended to Coaches from the GFDC. The Training was led by Coaches from the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation (THF), UK-Dan Slaughter & Dan Dodge along with Dipak Natali Director - Organization Development and Coen Van Putten, Senior Sports Development Manager from SOAP. 40 Coaches from 18 states of India participated to progress to the second module of the Coach Development program, having participated in the first module conducted in November 2016 at Bhubaneswar Odisha. 50 GFDC (Goa Football Development Council) Coaches from North and South Goa received training on 9 and 10 September at the same venue. Unified 5-a-side football matches were held with 30 Athletes and 20 Unified Partners on the last day of training. Dan Dodge, Coach Development Tutor, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, This is my second experience with most of them so they already have a basic foundational knowledge. This course was to build on that and take them to the next level. The training was received well despite the language barrier, which we tried to overcome. Moving forward, I expect them to take the seed that we ve planted and help it grow the spurs way 74

76 Train the Trainer Seminar on Disability Sports-Gujarat 131 Special educators and District level management representatives from all the 33 districts of the state participated at the Train the Trainer Seminar on Disability Sports held on 6 & 7 January at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat. The program was conducted in collaboration with the Swarim Gujarat Sport University (SGSU) whose Vice Chancellor, Dr. Jatin Soni was Chief Guest at the Opening Ceremony. Dr John Nagarajan, Senior Manager Sports Special Olympics Asia Pacific along with representatives from the SO Bharat National office covered sessions on Adapted Physical Education, Disability Sports & importance & essentials of communications. Skill training and competitions were conducted across Softball, Floor ball and Floor Hockey. Tottenham Coach Development Workshop- Bangalore 75

77 On 10 th and 11 th June 2017 a two day Football Coach Development Program was held at Frank Anthony Public School Bangalore. The trainees engaged with Special Athletes, the next day for a delivery session. MM Khurram and Samantha D Costa led the sessions on both days, rolling out the Tottenham Module of football for Social Change. Bangalore Spurs along with the SO Bharat Coaches participated, preparing for regular Unified football sessions which has commenced from the second week of July. Mr Corin Wilson from the British Deputy High Commission joined the trainees, drawn by his interest in the Tottenham Football program and the burgeoning Unified Football between SO Bharat and India Spurs. He would be working closely with Bangalore Spurs to facilitate regular and meaningful Unified engagement which would follow Coaches Training Program- Judo By introducing Judo to the Coaches and the Special Athletes, SO Bharat successfully expanded its perimeters of providing transformative sports. An Advanced Coaches Training Program supported by the Sports Authority of India, was held with 32 Coaches from 12 states of India. The Camp was held from 6 th - 10th June at the Anantapur Sports Academy (ASA), concluding with a delivery Session with 24 Athletes. The Resource team of five was lead by Ms Archana Sharma, 3rd Dan in Judo, from Goa, along with two experts each from the Judo Federations of Punjab and Ananthapur Few Coaches as well as Athletes arrived from different RDT (Rural Development Trust) Centres of Ananthapur. With support of the RDT s Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Team in Anantapur, all the participating Athletes were extended preliminary Judo training locally, two months in advance of the Camp. SO Bharat looks upon Judo as an effective Self defense fortifying the safety of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, who are one of the most vulnerable sections of the society 76

78 Special Olympics Young Athletes Program- supported by IKEA Foundation Through its Young Athletes programs in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Thailand, Special Olympics will help develop the motor, social and cognitive development and inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities. Young Athletes is a sports and play program for Children with and without Intellectual Disabilities ages 2-7 years old. Young Athletes offers an opportunity to learn about every child s abilities and to readjust expectations through inclusive play. It includes a series of structured physical activities, songs and games to teach basic motor skills. Through these play activities children grow and develop valuable motor skills, like walking and running, while also enhancing social and cognitive skills through interaction with their peers, with and without intellectual disabilities. 77

79 Young Athletes Models Three Models & Activities School 1-3 times/week in class throughout the school year Community 1 3 times per week at community location (sport club, library, etc.); Minimum of 8-week sessions Home Tools Created Indigenously- Curriculum and Branding/Communications 3 times per week in the home Category Communications Branding Creatives Curriculum Inventory Website Exclusive Page: IKEA Foundation + Home Slider image Newsletter : Header + Exclusive segment in every Monthly e- Newsletter Social media: Exclusive page on Facebook Banners Backdrop Stands Certificates Folders Flyer Curriculum Cover Annual Brochure T shirts Bibs Athlete Assessment Tool 78

80 State Highlights 79

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82 27-29 May Training Program conducted at the Little Angels School, Sonipat, Haryana A training program for Special Olympics Bharat Program Managers, Coaches and the Area Directors was held from May 2017 at the Little Angels School, Sonipat, and Haryana. The program was planned to develop capacity of the States to roll out the IKEA Young Athlete Programme (YAP) in a standardized manner across India. Focus was on the deliverables of each State, implementation methods, timelines, providing guidelines for monitoring and reporting outcomes along with the curriculum and communication procedures to be followed to ensure quality outreach and measure impact. The program was attended by 74 trainees from 22 states 81

83 21 & 22 August Mary Davis engages with Young Athletes on her visit to India Mary Davis, CEO Special Olympics International, during her trip to India in August 2017 slated two days for engaging with Young Athletes in schools across urban and rural settings. In Mathura, UP as well as the Aanchal school Chanakyapuri Delhi she witnessed implementation of the Young Athletes Program through the YA indigenously created kit 82

84 17 October Kulachi Hansraj Model School, Ashok Vihar, New Delhi Dr Tim Shriver engaged with the Young Athletes, family members and the school representatives during his visit 83

85 Healthy Athletes Data 2017 Particulars No. Of Screenings No. Of Athletes Screened Opening Eyes Special Smiles Fun Fitness Fit Feet Healthy Hearing Health Promotion Medfest Total Sl. No SOI Month State Disciplines Athletes Screened Volunteers 1 January New Delhi Opening Eyes Feb Odisha Opening Eyes & Healthy Hearing March Telengana Fun fitness May Haryana Fun fitness, fit feet & health promotion Gujarat Special smiles & fit feet Goa Special smiles & fit feet June 7 Rajasthan Special smiles & health promotion West Bengal Fit feet & fun fitness July Andhra Pradesh Special smiles August New Delhi Health Promotion Maharashtra Opening eyes, fun fitness & special smiles Oct 12 Anantapur Special smiles & fun fitness TOTAL

86 Sl. No State Month State Disciplines Athletes Screened Volunteers 1 January Karnataka Special smiles Feb Gujarat Special smiles July Himachal Pradesh Special smiles Mumbai Special smiles Karnataka Special smiles Dec Telengana Health promotion & fit feet TOTAL Sl. No AAOT Month State Disciplines Athletes Screened 1 October Tamil Nadu Opening eyes & special smiles Volunteers November Uttar Pradesh Opening eyes, special smiles & healthy hearing November Haryana Opening eyes, special smiles & healthy hearing December Hyderabad Opening eyes, & healthy hearing TOTAL

87 Opening Eyes, 15 CLINICAL DIRECTORS TOTAL: 56 Special Smiles, 12 Healthy Hearing, 4 Funfitness, 11 Fitfeet, 7 Health Promotion, 6 Medfest, 1 Dr Tim Shriver (in India; visit dtd 16 October 2017) in a message to the Clinical Directors: Don t stop until every doctor, every medical institution accepts our Athletes. It is not acceptable for injustice in healthcare in the world; it is not acceptable for persons with Intellectual Disabilities to be excluded from care; it is not acceptable to tell the mothers that their children don t deserve care; and yet it happens in every country in the world. So I ask you Clinical directors to continue to fight. You can do so much more in your institutions and Universities in your clinical settings to ensure that health justice is reality Opening Eyes 86

88 Fun Fitness 87

89 Health Promotion 88

90 Special Smiles Fitfeet 89

91 Healthy Hearing 90

92 SOI - Healthy Athletes exam results, 2017 (data entered as of 6 December 2017) Global Asia Pacific Bharat (India) % n % n % n Special Smiles Total Mouth Pain* Untreated Tooth Decay* Missing Teeth* Gingival Signs* Urgent Dental Referral* Fit Feet Total Gait Abnormalities Bone Deformation Skin/Nail Conditions Opening Eyes Total Never Had an Eye Exam* Eye Disease Needed new Rx Healthy Hearing Total Permanent Hearing Loss Blocked or Partially Blocked Ear Canal Failed PureTone Hearing Test Middle Ear Problems* Health Promotion Total Low Bone Density (adults)* Obese (child)* Overweight (child)* Underweight (child)* Obese (adult)* Overweight (adult)* Underweight (adult)* Use Tobacco Products* Exposure to Second Hand Smoke* Fun Fitness Total Flexibility Problems Identified* Strength Problems Identified* Balance Problems Identified* Exercise Frequency 3 or More Days Most Weeks Less Than 3 Days Most Weeks No Regular Exercise Program

93 Building Capacity Trainings and Meetings Communications Training - Special Olympics Asia Pacific The Special Olympics Asia Pacific Training Workshop was held in Singapore from January Led by Ms. Genevieve Jiang, Senior Manager, Communications & Development, SOAP, the training witnessed participation of Communication representatives from 10 countries of the Region. Ms. Romi Reinecke, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications, South Africa Region, attended the workshop as Observer. The training took the participants through an overview of recommended language, available resources, updated statistics vis-a-vis the program and intellectual Disabilities along with relevant sub topics including, photography, video- editing, good media angles, Social Media, marketing opportunities Creating Opportunities, Breaking Barriers & heading the Way- Asia Pacific Regional Leadership Conference 2017 Leaders from 28 countries across the Asia Pacific Region gathered in Singapore for the Asia Pacific Leadership Conference 2017 from February 2017 for the Annual Special Olympics Asia Pacific Regional Leadership Conference, exchanging ideas and renewing their commitment to create a more inclusive environment for people with intellectual disabilities through sports, health, 92

94 youth outreach, and unified activities. Air Marshal Keelor, CEO, Victor R Vaz, National Sports Director and Mukta Narain Thind, National Director- Organization Development represented SO Bharat. For the first time, the three-day conference included guest speakers and panelists from a diverse range of Government agencies and corporate heavyweights including Sport Singapore, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Facebook, TEDx Singapore, Microsoft Asia, Singapore Red Cross, Lions Club Singapore and more. SOAP Youth & Unified Schools Workshop, Manila Philippines Together with Special Olympics, young people must be empowered to lead a dignity revolution to change social norms and create a lifetime of acceptance, appreciation, and inclusion for people with differences. To be successful, Special Olympics needs to engage young people in their formative years and beyond to connect them to the movement A Workshop to uphold the same was held from April 2017 at Manila Philippines with 16 participants from 8 countries of the Asia Pacific Region. Led by Resource Persons from SOI and SOAP it encouraged the participants to share Youth engagement experiences and successes from their respective programs. The workshop rolled out the Special Olympics Global Youth Plan which includes a strong emphasis on Unified Schools. National Sports Director Conference Singapore A National Sports Director Conference was held from September 2017 in Singapore to equip sports coaches with techniques to improve the quality of sports for people with intellectual disability as well as sharing of best practices amongst other coaches in Asia Pacific. MM Khurram and Sagar Chaudhary represented SO Bharat at the conference which saw participation of 11 Special Olympics National Programs of the Asia Pacific Region. From aligning their efforts with the global strategy to a progressive development plan for the coaches along with coming up with innovative categories like Unified Sports played on the beach, the Sports Directors Conference was all about raising the level of sports 93

95 Young Athletes Workshop- Global and IKEA Foundation Bangkok Thailand Special Olympics Thailand hosted the Special Olympics International Young Athletes Global Workshop held between 4 and 10 November 2017 in Bangkok. The Global Young Athletes Workshop presented the current scenario of implementation of the program in 143 countries along with a plan to expand it to 53 more as well. Implementation sites of the program in Bangkok were visited. Success stories were shared while creation of kits out of waste material was held. Under the IKEA Foundation project the Young Athletes researchers were given an opportunity to present their strategies and measurement outcomes. Representatives from the Amity University, which is collaborating with SO Bharat to carry out the YA Research, showcased the Indian scenario. Striking partnerships with Universities and government bodies for reaching out to the grassroots was emphasized The AIFF International Football Coaching Conference- Steering towards Football Excellence A Special Olympics Football Training Program was held at the Amity University Campus NOIDA on 9&10 October led by MM Khurram (Senior Manager- Sports Training) and assisted by Sagar Chaudhary from SO Bharat. The training was delivered to over 50 participants from different states of India along with the physical Education department of Amity University NOIDA, in conjunction with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Football for Social Change format- demonstrating the spurs way. The training was conducted two days preceding the AIFF International Football Coaching Conference held in the University campus For promoting and supporting youth development and talent through coach education and through adopting a scientific approach to Football, AIFF and Amity University collaborated to hold the football conference from October at Amity University, Uttar Pradesh. The Special Olympics Football training was held two days preceding the 94

96 Football Conference. The whole event was held during the FIFA U-17 World Cup held from 6-28 October 2017 in New Delhi India witnessing participation of 24 teams from 6 Continents Youth Athlete Leadership Highlights 2017 State Location Youth Leaders Athletes Lead Person 1. Bangalore, Karnataka TISB Hridey & Team + Vrishabh 2. Youth Activation Committee Delhi NCR Formed in June Goa Aquatics Training Camp Camp supported by Funds raised by the TISB Youth leaders Hridey Vrishabh Andre Ramit 4. Gurgaon Haryana Scottish high International School Tanmay Agarwal/ Simran Sahni/ Hridey sahgal/ Ramit Gupta 5. Delhi Pratishtha- Apeejay Pitampura A Community Outreach initiative Tanmay, Simran, Ashrit & Team 6. NOIDA UP Kothari International 34 Youth Leaders & 75 Volunteers along with approx. 100 Athletes participated Tanmay Agarwal/ Simran Sahni/Rishabh/ Ashrit were at the lead 95

97 Athlete Leadership- Empowering Athletes to develop leadership skills and influence change The Athlete Leadership University opened in New Delhi with its first workshop held from November 2017 at the Frank Anthony Public School. Athlete leaders and Mentors from 19 states participated in the program which was led by facilitators from SO Asia Pacific Regional office and SO Bharat. The three day workshop took the participants through the curriculum that included relevant activities followed by free interactions with the resource team Being an athlete-centered organization, Athlete Leadership- giving people with intellectual disabilities the chance to build skills and develop personal and interpersonal skills - is a cornerstone of our work at Special Olympics. We know that our work on the playing field gives our athletes the confidence and drive to reach their full potential as integral members of society. Athlete Leadership is simply the next step on that journey. said Dipak Natali Director- Organizational Development SOAP The training covered broadly 5 areas to tap the potential of the Athletes namely, Public Speaking, Fundraising, Health Promotion, Coach Assistance and Voluntary Roles. Dr Veenu Seth, Regional Clinical Advisor, Health Promotion, was a visiting resource facilitating a session on sensitizing the trainees to the benefits of a balanced diet and the importance of making healthy choices Athletes gain confidence that comes with achievement. They feel empowered. This training aims to empower the Athletes to lead the way as the voices of the movement and teach the world the true meaning of inclusion - Yee Saengsawang- Specialist Program Development and Athlete Leadership Special Olympics Asia Pacific 96

98 Athlete Leadership University Program- Laying the Foundation for the Athletes to lead Area Directors from 20 states congregated at the Janpath Hotel, New Delhi on 22 August 2017 to share insights into developing the Athlete Leadership Program (ALPs), understanding the importance of participation of the Athletes at all levels.the training was led by Mr Harpreet Singh Gambhir (SO Bharat) and Mr Dipak Natali (SO Asia Pacific Regional Office) The Area Directors who lead the states would identify Athlete leaders in their respective states to form an effective National Athlete Input Council with members assuming advisory roles for further growth and expansion of the Special Olympics program in India. A Pilot Athlete Leadership University Program is scheduled to roll out in November 2017 training Athletes in areas like; Public Speaking, promoting health, Coaching, fundraising and volunteering Initiatives of the Youth Leaders An Aquatics Training Camp was held at the Sports Authority of Goa, Campal from June 2017 witnessing participation of Athletes and Coaches from 7 states of India. The participants were probables for the upcoming Special Olympics World Summer Games to be held in Abu Dhabi in March The camp provided an additional opportunity to the Athletes to enhance their individual as well as competitive skills, and to the Coaches in upgrading their coaching skills to train and prepare their respective Athletes to face global competition 97

99 The Camp accentuated the strength of the Youth inasmuch as being supported by funds raised by them (through TISB Swimathon), having them participate through the Healthy Athlete screenings and Young Athlete programs and also connecting the Goa and Bangalore Youth leaders along with deliberating over creating Youth Activation Committees in each of the two regions. Four youth leaders from The International School Bangalore, namely, Hridey Sahgal, Vrishabh Patil, Ramit Gupta and Andre Vacha, participated in the camp engaging closely with Athletes through diverse Special Olympics activities 98

100 Dr Tim Shriver s message to the Youth (in India; visit dtd 16 October 2017): You are here to be trained so wait till tomorrow because that is when you can make a difference- THAT IS NOT TRUE You are involved in Special Olympics so that you can make a difference TODAY because if you are 12 years old and have an Intellectual Disability, there is only another 12 year old who can make you a friend. So when we talk to our young persons lets remind them that their job is to make a difference NOW There job is to be agents of change today. Adults, Parents, Coaches Trainers, Professionals- we can t do it. Only the young people can do it. Our job is to enable the young people to do it Pratishtha- Youth leaders reach out to the Community 99

101 In a meeting with the students and alumni of Apeejay School, Tanmay said, Lets take the message of Special Olympics beyond boundaries ; and Pratishtha happened. Meaning dignity, respect, prestige, this initiative of the Youth leaders lodged itself in a public park in the heart of the city, located in a residential area. Armed with determination, energy, enthusiasm and focus, the youth brigade took over the park in the evening of Sunday, 30 July The objective was to raise curiosity and welcome the evening walkers to know about Special Olympics and join in the game. Powerlifting, Badminton, Volleyball and Cricket were conducted within a designated area in the park Re defining Education- Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences & Research, Modinagar The Autism Awareness Month was marked by advocacy towards understanding and Inclusion of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The AADMD members and the Club Unify youth at the Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences and Research carried out a Signature Campaign, held a Talk Show also highlighting methods to manage and treat a child with autism in the dental operatory. The Special Olympics Young Athlete Program was held with the engagement of the 1st year BDS and MDS students. 39 new students joined the Special Olympics Youth Brigade at the college, through a session led by Wing Commander Aroop Banerjee, faculty Advisor, Divya Jyoti College. The glorious moments from the Special Olympics World winter Games Austria, 2017 were shared. Most of the youth leaders at the Divya Jyoti College of Dental Sciences & Research are the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD) student resident chapter of the College 100

102 Champions The heart of the Movement Sarita Routray- Athlete SO Bharat Odisha At the fifth edition of Aarya awards, organized by Parichay foundation, Sarita Routray Athlete- SO Bharat Odisha was felicitated (sports Category) by Nobel Laureate Mr. Kailash Satyarthi. Aarya Awards were presented to 12 Women of Substance for their outstanding contribution to the society at the Hotel Crown, Bhubaneswar, on 5th March Sarita, youngest of all the recipients, bagged the award for excellence in sports. She participated at the 2017 Austria games with the rest of the contingent. Sarita was assessed with mild intellectual disability and hearing impairment.she discontinued going to the school there after a couple of years as she felt uncomfortable and lonely. She had no friends. Sarita joined SO Bharat showing her prowess in Floorball and Floor Hockey and participating in Floor Hockey at the SO World Winter Games of Special Olympics to be held in Austria in She has been the torch-bearer for SOB, OLS, the State of Odisha, India and her family for the last 5 years or so. However, the climb so far has not been free of hardships for her. Her father is a person with hearing impairment and earns a paltry sum as a house painting worker. Most of the time, he keeps ill and is unable to go out for work to earn his livelihood. Sarita s mother has opened a small grocery store in her temporary house in a slum in Bhubaneswar to augment the family income. The slum is in a neglected area bereft of civic amenities. 101

103 Harshvardhan- Athlete Leader SO Bharat Delhi He was different from other children in terms of his behaviour and his responses. When he was placed in a day boarding, frequent complaints from his teachers haunted his parents. They never believed that this could be anything out of the ordinary. He would understand but was unable to convert that into writing. His parents placed him in the Special Care wing of Kulachi Hansraj School New Delhi. He joined the Special Olympics Bharat program, a few months back. Harshvardhan participated in the Athlete Leadership University- workshop held in November 2017 in New Delhi exhibiting a promising potential. Aman Jain, a student of Class 11 (Commerce Stream) of the Kulachi Hansraj School came to know of the workshop. He has known Harshvardhan for a few months and on getting to know of the workshop, volunteered to participate as Harshvardhan s mentor. Those three days got Aman to engage with a person with ID for the first time. He recounted the difference he observed in Harshvardhan between the first and the last days. The first day as he recounts, Harshvardhan kept telling Aman that he Can t speak, there are too many people around but towards the end Harshvardhan told him that he likes Public Speaking, and he wanted to answer all the questions. He even shared his dreams with Aman! My perception of persons with Intellectual Disabilities has changed- if they lack somewhere they are blessed with something much more as well. Every time I meet him I learn something new says Aman Pravat Baral- Athlete SO Bharat Odisha Pravat Baral, 28yrs, has represented India in all the 3 editions of the South Asia Unified T20 Cricket Tournament as an all-rounder and played all the games for his team. He captained SO Bharat in the crucial match against Sri Lanka ensuring a comfortable win and consequently a Silver Medal for Bharat in the 3 rd South Asia Unified Cricket Tournament 2017 held in Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh. He contributed an unbeaten 12 off 6 balls while opening the innings with Pullayappa Raju and also took 2 wickets with his fast bowling Pravat joined SO Bharat in 2007 demure, under confident and neglected. He was born with Multiple Disabilities, Speech and Hearing impairment with mild ID, into a family of limited means. His father earned through small time farming while his mother took care of their home. 102

104 Unaware of the Special care he needed, his parents attempted to have him educated, which they did till he reached Class 3. It was understandable that Beruhan Sasan, a remote village in Puri district, Odisha, where he belonged, could offer him nothing more. As he grew, Pravat joined his father in agriculture. Pravat was identified by Kalindi Charan Bhoi, Coach with SO Bharat Odisha for 12 yrs now. Kalindi mentored him through the Special Olympics events coaching him in multiple sport disciplines Prateek Young Athlete SO Bharat Chattisgarh His parents can see an improvement in his social behaviour and Communication skills. If his participation is regular there will certainly be a marked change in Pratik. We do see the change overcoming our son, we want him to participate in the Young Athletes Program regularly to further develop his abilities to optimal levels Pratik s Mother The Young Athletes Program is conducted every day at the Ankur Special School, Korba, Chattisgarh, Monday through Friday, following the assembly. Pratik was often seen sitting along, in a corner, not talking with anyone during group activities, or even otherwise. Seeing a ball he would get scared, he feared going near it and did not know what to do with it. Even during a group activity he remained nervous. Dinesh was prepared to give him exclusive time to pull him out of his isolation. Even his parents did not know how the special school which highlights sports as a platform for change would help. Pratik s father works in a bank but his mother, Mariam, gave up higher education for spending exclusive time with her son. Pratik is six years old, with Mild Downs Syndrome. Dinesh Chouhan took him under his care and mentored him. I have reached this level with the support of my parents, teachers & Special Olympics - Ragini Sharma Athlete Leader SO Bharat Delhi I dream of a bright world for the girl child where she can walk free in a safe environment at any time of the day or night. She gets equal opportunities to study and play. There is no gender bias. She does not have to do home chores at the cost of earning through a great job. 103

105 My mother inspired me to like sports and Special Olympics provided me the platform to grow further breaking barriers. Today I am working with Upasna Special School as a Special educator and I want to gear my energies towards changing mindsets towards Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. I do this also as an ALPs leader with Special Olympics Bharat Ragini Sharma, SO Bharat ALPs leader joined the Panel of sports stars at the UNICEF celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child development. The panel consisted of the cricket legend as well as the UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, Indian Cricket team Captain Women Mithali Raj, National Basket Ball Champion, Raspreet Sidhu, Karate Champion Mana Madlekar and Beti Bachao Andolan ambassador and Para-Athlete Rajni Jha. The panellists shared their experiences outlining the role of sports in shaping their lives and sharing their dreams of a safe and an empowered tomorrow The calm on her face confirms her resilience. Her cheerfulness defies the struggles she went through in the early years of her education. She understood her limitations but was unable to cope with them. Class 9 at the regular school was the last straw, and she along with her family decided to put an end to the constant bullying and nagging by the staff and classmates. To spend each day feeling left out, having no one to talk to and having to hear how slow she was in her studies and also overall, began to isolate her even more. She left her school to join Purti Special School. It was at Purti that she felt comfortable, blending with persons like her. Ragini, now 27 yrs, Athlete from Delhi, joined the SO movement in 2005 in Badminton, under the guidance of Coach Manoj Kumari. Along with sporting opportunities she gained exposure through her travel to, both, within and outside of India. Ragini got married in 2012 and has a son who is 2 1/2 yrs. She has been working in Special schools for the past 7 years. Autism Marvels In celebration of the World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) the National Trust organized an All India talent hunt titled Autism Marvels. Eight persons from all over INDIA, (five children and three adults) were felicitated in a grand function held at Vigyan Bhavan on 3rd April 2017 chaired by the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mr Thaawarchand Gehlot. Ranveer Singh Saini and Prabhroop Singh, Athletes from SO Bharat were selected for their achievements. Ranveer s victories at the SO World Summer Games 2015, LA, his consecutive victories at the Unified Golf Tournaments Macau and appearance in the Limca Book of Records was upheld while Prabhroop Singh emerged a marvel through his feat in skating, swimming and drawing. Prabhroop s double Gold Medal win at the SO World Summer Games 2015, LA, USA in roller skating was applauded 104

106 AVSC Grant support: Film Crew Covers Deepak s Story Khurd Village, Faridabad, Haryana For measuring impact of the AVSC Grant, Special Olympics International presented Deepak s journey to showcase community-based work. Deepak is from SO Bharat- Haryana and an alumni of Tender hearts Special School. A film crew visited India in September 2017 capturing Deepak in his school, Tenderhearts, Faridabad and at his home Kheri The production went public as scheduled just before Christmas 2017 celebrating the profound support of the Christmas grant in transforming lives right through the grassroots. In the words of Air Marshal (Retd) Denzil Keelor PVSM, KC, AVSM, VrC, Founder & CEO Special Olympics Bharat : Deepak stands testimony to the success of the Special Olympics mission of Inclusion through the power of sports. The support of the grant was foundational, facilitating SO Bharat in achieving a level of visibility and outreach which drew the attention of the Government of India resulting in designating us as a National Sports Federation in I am grateful to the visiting film crew and the Special Olympics team for having covered one of our Athletes as part of the AVSC project and look forward to their continuing support in catalysing the endeavours of Inclusion along the lengths and breadths of the country 105

107 Deepak received a star welcome at the airport in 2015 when he returned with a silver medal in Handball from the World Summer Games held in LA, USA.He is 21 yrs and has been with the SO program for 10 years now. His victory which brought him immense excitement went on to do much more for his family. The Cash award that followed covered expenses of his father s critical ailment which was diagnosed soon after Belonging to a family with limited means and located in the rural interiors of the state of Haryana, his mother faced much trouble and strain when confronted with a diagnosis that confirmed Deepak as child with Special needs. His delayed milestones, lack of speech by the time he was 2 could be attributed to complications during his birth. Members of his family and community suggested to have him killed or have him exorcised. The accusation from the pople around was that he was possesed by a spirit. Having fought all odds with the support of his mother Deepak stands in good space now. Through his various sporting experiences Deepak has won 27 medals which are displayed prominently in his house. After having worked in a bank for a few months he continued to support the family income through selling milk etc. Very recently ( Jan 2018) the Tender hearts School, Faridabad, Haryana has opened a canteen. We are happy to see him on the path of economic rehabilitation as it is Deepak who is running the canteen now, with assistance from his wife and mother Awareness & Recognition Marathon Half Marathon - Delhi On 2 April 2017, a half Marathon held the NOIDA Stadium marked the 10th World Autism Day. Out of over 500 walkers, 224 SO Bharat Athletes participated, covering a distance of 2Kms. Present among the Athletes were the Medalists from the Special Olympics World Winter Games The first three positions at the event were held by Shrey, Ravi and Shiv, all SO Bharat- Delhi Athletes. The event was coordinated by Ms Ragini Sharma, ALPs 106

108 leader SO Bharat and Staff member of UDAAN. The Marathon was organized by UDAAN, a trust working with Children with Autism at a pan-india level. Mr Sudhanshu Trivedi, the BJP National Spokesperson graced the occasion, motivating the participants to keep walking on the path of progression Awareness Walks- Karnataka In an awareness drive approx persons including Senior Govt representatives of the state and the Deputy Commissioner of the district walked along with 20 Athletes over a distance of a kilometre in the district of Hassan. 800 participants including 60 Athletes walked from from Gandhi Chowk reading room, via bus stand, Shan Bagh Circle, Ambedkar Circle, Court, Mahila Samaja, City Municipality from 9:30AM until noon on 16 December All the VIPS wore the Special Olympics Bibs and walked along with Special Athletes. Students from Independent PU College who are interested to be youth Leaders had mobilized 35 schools to participate in the walk. WWE With the WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal & Dr Tim Shriver October 2017 SO Bharat is big but it has scope to get bigger. Millions more have to join. We have to grow in quality and with a message to the world that we will not stop says Dr Tim Shriver as he meets the Champions and Superstars. 107

109 The Tag Team felicitates Maharashtra Athletes The Former Tag Team Champions and the host of this year s Wrestle Mania 33, were in Mumbai in May. They upheld achievements of the Maharashtra Special Athletes who were players of the floor ball and floor hockey teams which returned with gold medals won at the 2017 Austria Games. 10 special athletes, 6 Partners and 4 coaches from SOB Maharashtra were present at the venue.apart from interacting with the superstars the Athletes were presented with medals and special souvenir WWE belts to carry back home and cherish the moments of this very unique experience Playing Cricket with Jinder Mahal & the Singh Bros The Athletes in Delhi had a fun innings with the WWE superstars Jinder and Singh bros at the Hotel Shangri- la, New Delhi 108

110 ADIDAS Uprising 3.0 India loves sports but only as spectators. Viewership of sports has consistently increased for over a decade. Active participation in sports however continues to be abysmally low- This was the trigger for Adidas Uprising to celebrate sports and ignite a passion to rediscover sports and make it a part of life once again. Growing successfully through Uprising 1.0 across Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore in 2015 and Uprising 2.0 in 6 cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh and Pune in 2016, Uprising 3.0 went to Mumbai Bangalore and Delhi in November and December This year, running its third edition, Adidas became inclusive by inviting SO Bharat Athletes to play Unified Bocce with the Adidas representatives playing unified partners. The event saw participation of 30 Athletes in each of the cities playing alongside Adidas representatives Speaking on adidas Uprising 3.0, Sean Van Wyk, Senior Marketing Director, adidas India said, With the Uprising, we want to give people the opportunity to celebrate the spirit of sports. We aim to get people to rise up and realise that the real joy of sports is on the field 109

111 and not on the television screen! Our aim is to create the right environment for people to embrace sport and to make it a regular part of their lives. This year, we bring forth our philosophy of No Athlete Left Behind, by including a sport for differently abled athletes. Derozio Awards November 2017 once again celebrated the life of Derozio, the great revolutionary by awarding persons inspired to emulate his life and work in the service of the nation. In Jaipur in its Annual commemoration CISCE felicitated Dr Paul Devasagayam, Area Director SO Bharat Tamil Nadu and Ms Renu Bali, Principal, Tender Hearts Inclusive School closely associated with SO Bharat- Haryana in the category of Service to education through goodwill, human understanding and enrichment Special Olympics Global Strategy Goal 2 : Build positive attitudes towards people with ID Attitude change must be a deliberate outcome of Special Olympics. We create change from others engaging with and witnessing our athletes as they participate in sports. It is essential that Special Olympics continuously works to improve awareness of what people with ID can achieve. We need people to see our athletes competing, and athletes leading the way as the face and voice of our movement; that is what opens hearts and minds and ultimately promotes inclusion in friendships, communities, health, education and jobs. 110

112 Media Coverage & Publications Sports Illustrated IDA Times The Progressive Teacher 111

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115 Partnerships & Support Let s Play for Change by IKEA Foundation Say Yes to Play Children with disabilities are often the most likely to be excluded from play and learning activities. In the developing world, where resources are scarce for all children, the issues and obstacles that children with intellectual disabilities face make access that much more difficult, thereby making programs such as Young Athletes, all the more urgent and necessary Support from the IKEA Foundation Funding from the IKEA Foundation will support the growth of Young Athletes in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Thailand from 2017 through 2019 This is the biggest IKEA good cause campaign yet with more products and more partners than ever before. Children suffer the most in a crisis situation, and we are committed to upholding and raising awareness of their rights, commented Per Heggenes, CEO of IKEA Foundation. Through support from the IKEA Foundation 114

116 the Special Olympics Young Athletes programs in the four countries, will help develop the motor, social and cognitive development and inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities. Mary Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Special Olympics said. The Special Olympics Young Athletes program, a sports-play program designed to promote motor, social and cognitive development and inclusion for children with intellectual disabilities, offers children the opportunity to learn inclusive play in a safe environment. Thanks to our partners at the IKEA Foundation, we are able to grow our Young Athletes program and reach more children, impact more families and further break down the perceptions that exist for children with intellectual disabilities. Iwitness Program As part of the project, I witness programs will be conducted from time to time. The first was conducted in September The Special Olympics team reached out to the IKEA India co-workers, Hyderabad During their visit in Hyderabad, the IKEA India co-workers had an eye-opening opportunity to see first-hand how play can open up a whole new world of happiness, friendship, support and joy for children with intellectual disabilities. It also created a powerful opportunity for the IKEA India co-workers to connect with children, their families and teachers of children with Intellectual disabilities I have read about Special Olympics but coming here and engaging with the Athletes has made me relate with the program- how sports can truly be a catalyst; Even as a parent I will tell my child to play- it is important - IKEA India team member Amity University NOIDA UP Amity University is the local partner of the Lets Play for Change project conducting research to establish the impact of the program Pan India. The complete research will be carried out on 3000 young athletes with ID & 160 in control group from February April

117 Research- Impact evaluation of Development Skills and Community Inclusion The Asian institute of Technology (AIT) are facilitating Impact evaluation of Development Skills and Community Inclusion for 4 C's (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Thailand). The team made its first trip to India in September 2017 to gain an overview of the SO Bharat program along with a comprehensive implementation of the Project. The visit took them to Asha AWWA and Kulachi Hansraj Schools in Delhi and the Chetanalaya Center and Aanganwadi at Rohtak to witness the program along with interacting with stakeholders in the community. This visit to India also connected them with their local partners The Amity University NOIDA LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL Launch of Mission Inclusion: Bharat by Lions Clubs International Presented by the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust - The launch of Mission Inclusion: Bharat, between Special Olympics Bharat and Lions Clubs International was held at the Taj Palace, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi on 21 August 2017 witnessed by Ms Mary Davis, CEO Special Olympics International and Mr David Evangelista President & Managing Director, Special Olympics Eurasia 116

118 Mrs. Mary Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics, Inc.: The Launch of Mission Inclusion is historic for this Country. It is a moment of Change. It is a moment of trendsetting. With the depth of Lions and Oswal Trust commitment to humanity,synerged with Special Olympics - the largest movement in the world for People with intellectual disabilities, this country has stepped on the road to true inclusion. The road is challenging, but achievable for sure Dr. (Cmdr) Kartikay Saini Chairman SO Bharat: Together, we have a most unique opportunity to bring this population out of the shadows and into the light of their families, neighborhoods, communities, and nation. Through Mission: Inclusion, and under the guidance and support of the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust and Lions Clubs International Foundation, we have the chance to amplify the voice of our athletes, and bring this urgent message to the world. The partnership highlights commitment of Mrs Aruna Oswal, founder of the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust, and International Director of Lions Clubs International, to provide increased opportunities for Lions Clubs volunteers and their youth network, Leos, to serve marginalized communities throughout the country. The $1,000,000USD commitment spread over a 3 year term would bring service, support and inclusive programs for 117

119 individuals with intellectual disabilities in India while expanding to the SAARC Nations (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Mrs. Aruna Oswal, International Director of Lions Clubs International and Founder of the Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust, stands steadfast in her commitment for a fully inclusive India :We stand by special athletes through the Mission: Inclusion national platform. We support the efforts of empowering these athletes to become confident and dignified members of our community. The inclusive sports program, Unified Sports, must be encouraged for cultivating sensitivity, acceptance, unity and bravery among our youth, said Mrs. Oswal. Special Olympics provides them with the chance to display their strengths and abilities through participation- and through this- they gain the recognition they so deserve. We wish them luck 118

120 Lions International and Special Olympics Bharat Showcase Event 2017 The Vasant Valley School, Delhi hosted the Lions International and Special Olympics Bharat Showcase Event on 19 January A Special Olympics Young Athlete Program, Family Health Forum, 5-a-side Unified Football match and Healthy Athlete Opening Eyes screening formed a broad demonstration of the work that Special Olympics Bharat delivers and is looking to build on with the Lions in the future. Guest Of honour, the International Director Mrs Aruna Abhey Oswal, Lions Club International toured through the programs, learning about Special Olympics activities and interacting closely with the Athletes, Families, Coaches, and Volunteers who are a part of the Special Olympics tournament 119

121 Lions Clubs Centennial Celebration Lions Clubs International celebrated 100 years of global service on 17 March 2017 in Schladming Senior representatives of SO Bharat witnessed the celebrations in the gracious presence of the International Director Aruna Oswal, Lions Clubs International Meeting with Mrs Madhu Lamba, CEO Aruna Abhey Oswal Trust - to provide her with an overview of the SO Bharat Program enabling her to understand the requirements and needs for meaningful integration of Mission Inclusion: Bharat. The Meeting was held on 22 May 2017 at Scottish High International School, Gurgaon The 2nd Regional Unified Sports Advisory Committee Meeting (RUSAC)- Chennai September 2017 saw convergence of the Special Olympics Representatives from Washington DC, USA and from over 8 countries from the Asia Pacific Region including the 120

122 Leaders from Special Olympics Bharat at the Tech Park, SRM University Campus, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India. At the power packed venue, the 2nd RUSAC meeting inked MoUs with 6 organizations including the SRM University, Lions International District 324 A6, Lions Club of Chennai Mount City, Montfort Community Development Society, Rotary Club of United Chennai Dist 3232 and Planet 3 Sports committing to support Special Olympics Unified Sports A Special Olympics Unified Cricket Competition was held with participation of 75 Athletes and 75 Leos as Unified Partners at the SRM University Cricket Grounds in a one-day competition Herbalife Nutrition In 2015 when the Indian contingent returned from the World Summer Games Special Olympics, Herbalife came face-to-face with the talent of Persons with Intellectually Challenges and felicitated them. Early in 2017, Herbalife formally inked a partnership with Special Olympics Bharat to support and encourage athletes with intellectual disabilities. When the Special Olympics Bharat Athletes returned from the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2017 Austria Herbalife India along with its sponsored athletes, MC Mary Kom, Heena Sidhu 121

123 and Saina Nehwal, came together to welcome the athletes and celebrate their outstanding achievements 122

124 Herbalife Annual Charity Six Athletes from Special Olympics Bharat who returned home with medals at the 2017 World Winter Games held in Austria were invited for the Heralife Family Foundation Annual Charity program held in Bangalore on 9 June Participants of Floor Hockey, Floor ball and Unified Floor ball from Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra attended the gala evening graced by Mary Kom, Olympic Bronze Medalist and Herbalife sponsored athlete Mr. Ajay Khanna, Vice President & Country Head Herbalife International said, Herbalife is a company with a heart. And we take it upon ourselves to enable such talented athletes discover their strengths and celebrate their achievements, on and off the field. Special Olympics is a cause close to the hearts of the Herbalife Nutrition global community Air Marshal Denzil Keelor Founder & CEO SO Bharat- The Special Olympics Healthy Communities initiative is working to achieve inclusive health for people with intellectual disabilities, which means equitable access to quality healthcare, education, and services throughout the community. With this background, our partnership with Herbalife seems most pertinent in accentuating the SO Bharat message to the larger community of the importance of health of Persons with Intellectual disabilities ESPN The Walt Disney Company, ESPN and Special Olympics, in September 2013, initiated a global program that would leverage the power of sports to promote an environment of social inclusion and acceptance, by uniting people with and without intellectual disabilities through the Special Olympics Unified Sports program. India was one of the beneficiaries right since the conception of this collaboration and continues to be so enabling SO Bharat to strengthen Unified Sports training for coaches and to continue to improve the experience for the athletes and partners 123

125 Be fearless Be kind- an initiative by Hasbro Inc SO Bharat Maharashtra In October 2016 Hasbro, launched BE FEARLESS BE KIND, its largest philanthropic initiative ever, designed to empower youth to have the empathy, compassion and courage to stand up for others and be inclusive throughout their lives, serving as positive role models and change makers. Special Olympics Inc. awarded the Hasbro Children s Fund Grant to Special Olympics Bharat to further the Unified Schools work. A Hasbro Unified Sports Festival was held in Mumbai in November 2017 wherein the Athletes & Unified Partners, ages 8-12 yrs, participated in recreational activities 124

126 HASBRO Global Day of Joy with Special Olympics Bharat Athletes The Global Day of Joy- an initiative of HASBRO Inc. made the day fun-filled for over 500 Special Olympics Bharat Athletes in Mumbai and Pune. On 14 December 2017 Hasbro, Inc. celebrated its 5th Annual Global Day of Joy, during which Hasbro employees around the world spent the day spreading cheer to children in need through volunteer projects. This was the first year of operations for the India Entities and the first Global Day of Joy for Hasbro India. Two schools in Pune and one in Mumbai were selected for the Hasbro employees to carry out voluntary services. A few weeks prior to the day specific areas of engagement were outlined and preparations by Hasbro India were made accordingly In Pune at the Kamyani Vidya Mandir they painted a 200ft (length) x 10 ft (high) wall. This was a requirement of the school for an upcoming Cricket tournament to be held there. At the Balkalyan Sanstha Hasbro engaged with the Athletes in activities underway at the time like Music, art and craft Computers. At the SPJ Sadhana School in Mumbai it was decided that they would help the staff with Christmas decorations, involving the Athlete as much as possible. 125

127 Sr. Pratibha Pinto, Principal, SPJ Sadhana School, Mumbai We were very happy to have a group of HASBRO Employees with us on the GLOBAL DAY OF JOY. It gave us great joy to have them participate in our Annual Exhibition. They were very enthusiastic in working with our students, decorating the school. The school has a truly festive look as a result of their co-operation. We are also very grateful for the gift of Play Do Boxes. The joy that our students felt in their hearts was evident by the look on their faces on receiving the boxes Hasbro is very proud of it s relationship with Special Olympics in India and is excited to be a part of the unified sports festival in Mumbai. It is through events like this, that our Be Fearless, Be Kind initiative can empower youth to have empathy, compassion and courage to stand up for others Bhavesh Somaya, HASBRO Inc, Country Manager India Agreement with the Indian Dental Association Indian Dental Association &Special Olympics Bharat with International Association for Disability & Oral Health (iadh, India Chapter) forge a bond for jointly committing towards advocacy and awareness to improve the oral health of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disability from 01 May 2016 for a period of 5 years. 14 Publications in 2016 and 2017 since the first one in June 2016 have dedicated a page to SO Bharat 126

128 Microsoft : Mission 3000 Highlighting Shikha Rani, figure skater, referring to her as an Epitome of Resolve is how Microsoft demonstrated its support to the International Women s Day, at their plush office in Gurgaon on 8 March 2017.Shikha, her sister Nitu along with Virender Kumar from SO Bharat Haryana were invited at the program also attended by Microsoft Senior officials at the office and 50 more from their offices across Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Gurgaon, connecting live through skype. Mr Balendu Sharma Dadhich, Sr. Product Marketing Manager, opened the program introducing Shikha and speaking about his visit to Una in January 2017, also encapsulated in a blog written by him I came back yesterday after meeting Shikha at her village Deoli. It was a memorable experience. Shikha highly impressed me with her talent, determination, innocence and friendly nature. Not only she is a sporting talent, she also likes to dance, cook and knit. Even though she doesn t have fingers, she can write in a very good handwriting and can also type - Balendu (20 January 2017) 127

129 Partnering with the PHD Chamber for the SO World Winter Games

130 SOI Leadership Visits India Dr Tim Shriver Chairman SOI We have to grow in quality and with a message to the world that we will not stop - Dr Tim Shriver, Chairman, Special Olympics International Dr Tim Shriver s trip entailed a comprehensive circuit involving close interaction with the stakeholders of SO Bharat including the Area Directors, Clinical Directors, Media persons, youth leaders along with the Athletes and Coaches while also visiting key schools which have been involved in the Special Olympics Unified engagements- The Apeejay School Pitampura and the Kulachi Hansraj School Ashok Vihar, New Delhi. Media interactions and Meetings with Government leaders further stoked the need to spread awareness to affect attitude change and augment growth of the movement with quality in India Mr Simon Koh and Ms Catherine Ho from SOAP were part of the Special Olympics team Mr Shawn Ferguson from SOI The outcome of Tim Shriver s earlier visit in 2006 led to the recognition of SO Bharat as National Federation for the development of Sports for persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Priority Category, creating a historical milestone for us. An invaluable implication of this recognition lies in it being the biggest act of Inclusion all over the world, demonstrating hope, trust and confidence, thereby 129

131 transforming lives of our Athletes for the better. I am proud and honoured that I have been able to share a part of the development and experience of this global movement Air Marshal Denzil Keelor Unified 5-a-side Football Frank Anthony Public School, New Delhi The Chairman continued to blend deeper into the SO Bharat family starting from the football grounds of the Frank Anthony Public School the next day, where he kick started the match played between Unified teams comprising of Delhi Dynamos and India Spurs participating as Unified Partners 130

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133 Let s play more football at the community level in a Unified way where boys and girls, men and women, people with and without Disabilities can grow up in a Unified way- Dr Tim Shriver 132

134 To provide an overview of the implementation of Special Olympics in India, a program was held in New Delhi inviting the valued stakeholders, who have journeyed through the growth and vicissitudes of the movement in India. It provided an opportunity to gain insight into the the progress of Special Olympics globally along with areas requiring urgent attention, all coming from the global leader. A one-on-one dialogue with Dr Shriver, preceded by his key note address spoke lucidly about the role that each stakeholder has in hand. A welcome by the Board of Directors of SO Bharat was followed by an exhibition conducted by 30 students of the Scottish High International School, Gurgaon at the hotel on their understanding of the Special Olympics movement. The program which was anchored by the ALPs leader Ms Ragini Sharma We are all involved in a revolution. It s not a violent revolution, it s not an aggressive revolution; It is a revolution of the heart. A revolution that transforms the mind. We are in a revolutionary conversion from one that sees label, colour, rank, class to one that sees the heart and courage and bravery. A revolution that sees all as valuable 133

135 Meeting with Mr JP Nadda, Union Health Minister At The HT FB Live Studio, New Delhi 2 Interviews 134

136 Mary Davis, CEO, SOI Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics Inc, visited India from August 2017 to gain a firsthand comprehensive experience of implementation of the Special Olympics Bharat Program. The visit began with meeting up with the State Area Directors to comprehend execution of the program in cities and districts along with interacting with stakeholders like the Youth leaders& School and college communities, Athletes, families, and people from the Media, Medical& Corporate world India is one of our greatest programmes around the world and the strongest on the planet, and it s continually growing. Seeing some of the regions in the country astounds me as they are doing an astonishing amount of work even though they are operating on a shoestring. It is down to the level of commitment that the volunteers have shown - their dedication to the work that they do, expecting nothing in return, is also something that most of our programmes can learn from India - Mary Davis 135

137 In the presence of Mary Davis, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National trust and SO Bharat synergising endeavours of both entities in moving towards an Inclusive India. Air Marshal Denzil Keelor Founder & CEO, SO Bharat and Shri Navneet Kumar, Program Officer, National Trust signed the document Certificate of recognition signed by Ms Mary Davis were presented to a selected group from diverse areas, who have journeyed through the growth of the movement in India with their inspiring and meaningful support The Healthy Athletes Program screened 100 Athletes conducting the Health Promotion discipline with overall supervision of Dr Veenu Seth, Clinical Regional Advisor with the assistance of 30 Clinical and 10 Volunteers 136

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139 Welcoming her amidst much gaiety and cheer at the school, youth leaders from Apeejay School Pitampura Delhi,Upasna Special School, Delhi, DivyaJyoti College of Dental Sciences & Research, Modi Nagar, UP and the Scottish High presented their respective areas of activation Ms Mary Davis: I am overwhelmed by the experience; to be in the presence of Air Marshal Keelor and Dr Saini, to meet the Area Directors and to follow what they are doing at city schools and to be able to visit a rural school, to experience the energy and vibrancy everywhere. It is not just what you are doing but how you are constantly thinking of making things better. You were magic! 138

140 SO Bharat National Office Delhi 139

141 A Morning of Warmth & Joy - with Ms Natalia Vodianova Ms Natalia Vodianova, Special Olympics International Board Member visited the SPJ Sadhana Special School Sofia College Campus, Mumbai on 22 September The morning saw an unusual frenzy of activities and arrangements prior to her visit, which suddenly calmed as she blended perfectly with the Athletes, School representatives and the Special Olympics Bharat Maharashtra team. Ms Natalia created innumerable cherishable moments with her instant connect with the Athletes who are receiving training across departments of Hospitality, media engagement, exclusive art and more vocational skills along with a fun-filled Young Athletes session. The refreshments which were served were prepared by the Athletes, as part of their training at the Centre. Natalia Vodianova, is a member of the SOI Board of Directors, lending her support to numerous fund-raising events over the years. Visits to Special Olympics are always very special! But in India it went to another level. Thank you for recharging my soular battery 140

142 Convergence