This year's edition of the Special Games was held from June 17 to June 25, with some of the world's most renowned athletes competing with one another to finish on top of the podium in their respective categories.
India finished the tournament on a strong note, with a tally of 202 medals (76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze) with the last few medals coming in track events, where India won six medals.
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The headlines would undoubtedly go to the gold medallists Aanchal Goyal (400m, Level B Female) and Ravimathi Arumugam (400m, Level C Female) who blew away their competition to take the top of the podium. Saket Kundu, who had earlier grabbed a silver medal in the mini javelin Level B, also won a bronze in the Level B 400m, a rare double act in the track and field.
Speaking about the Indian contingent’s performance at the Berlin Games, Chairperson Special Olympics Bharat, Dr. Mallika Nada was keen to highlight not just their performance but also the need for inclusion and acceptance of these athletes by the mainstream.
“A huge number of our athletes have faced social discrimination of various forms, and are regarded as non functioning members of society in various quarters. It is an obsolete thought, and an inaccurate one too. Their performance in the sporting arena prove that they are capable of great feats, or strength, speed, concentration and discipline. And I hope this opens the eyes of those on the outside and proves that we need to expand this movement further and make it more inclusive," said Nada.