Minister for Social Welfare, Subhash Phaldessai has expressed immense delight at the medal-winning feat of Goan ‘Special’ athletes representing India at the ongoing Special Olympics World Summer Games, Berlin 2023.
Phaldessai, who is also in Berlin, hailed the inspirational development, saying: “I am so proud of our girls for winning these medals for India. Goa is immensely proud of her. Watching their determination and and domination in the game to give their best has inspired all of us and I feel great to have been here to witness this feat.”
Siya Sarode from Bhati-Sanguem, won four medals in the Powerlifting event. She secured two gold medals in deadlift and squat, one silver medal in combined and one bronze medal in bench-press.
Goa’s Taniya Ulhas Usgaonkar, a 15-year-old student of Keshav Seva Sadhana, Bicholim; clinched a bronze medal in the 30-metre straight-line roller-skating event. Earlier in the Games, Geetanjali Nagvekar had won a gold medal in 800m run.
“I am very proud of Siya Sarode, Taniya Usgaonkar and all the other athletes who have participated in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin. Through their participation they have proved that disability is not an obstacle, but an opportunity to excel. Siya faced a visa issue and could only reach the games with the timely intervention of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Social Welfare Minister and South Goa collector. We are thankful to them for their support and cooperation,” said Guruprasad R. Pawaskar, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa
Special Olympics Bharat Goa, which is associated with Special Olympics Bharat – the National Sports Federation for Development of Sports for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities – had selected 23 sportspersons and coaches from Goa to be part of Team India. Of these 23 members, 13 were athletes, while the others were seven coaches, two partners and one assistant staff from Special Olympics Goa.
Victor Vaz, National Sports Director of Special Olympics Bharat, congratulated the medalist and praised the coaches and support staff for their efforts through the coaching period and at Berlin, so that Sarode could make us all proud.
More than 7,000 athletes representing 190 countries participated in the Special Olympics World Games 2023.
