Special Olympics Bharat conducts series of webinars to help special athletes train effectively during lockdown

To help special athletes cope with the challenges brought on by the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Special Olympics Bharat conducted a series of Webinars from 1-6 May, 2020. The webinars, conducted in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), saw experts talking about a range of topics, such as intellectual disability, unified sports, mental health and creating resources for athletes, among others. [caption id=“attachment_6278161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Indian table tennis contingent poses with their medals at Special Olympic World Games in Abu Dhabi, last year. Shivam Damohe/Firstpost[/caption] Speaking about the initiative, Air Marshall Denzil Keelor, Founder Trustee and CEO of Special Olympics Bharat said: “This is a celebration of a new initiative. It has shown us a different perspective of staying connected, promoting inclusion and strengthening the essence of the Special Olympics movement.” The webinars, which saw an average daily attendance of 300 from countries like India, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, UAE, USA and Singapore, among others, also witnessed athlete leaders from different states of India sharing their thoughts regarding the global health crisis triggered by the coronavirus. The athlete leaders are special athletes who have and continue to participate in sports while also demonstrating additional leadership skills and a potential to assume significant roles beyond the sports field. They also help to inspire people in following an inclusive way of life. Satish Pillai, Chairman of Special Olympics Bharat thanked SAI for helping them go digital with the initiative. He further added, “We attempt to continue keeping athletes, coaches and everyone engaged and spread awareness about the abilities of people with special needs.”