Tata Steel Foundation Honors Special Olympics Medal Winners from Jharkhand

Jharkhand’s Special Olympics athletes, who won eight medals at the Berlin World Summer Games, are honored by Tata Steel Foundation in a special ceremony.

JAMSHEDPUR – Tata Steel Foundation held a ceremony to honor the Special Olympics athletes from Jharkhand, who bagged eight medals at the World Summer Games in Berlin.

The event was scheduled between June 17-25, 2023.

The five-member team from Jharkhand won four gold, two silver, and two bronze medals at the Games.

V. Indu Prakash secured a gold medal in the 5 km Cycling Time Trial and a silver medal in the 2 km Time Trial.

Ritesh Kumar Singh won a gold medal in badminton doubles and a silver in singles.

Poonam Kumari bagged gold medals for both badminton doubles and singles, and Samiya Parween won two bronze medals for powerlifting.

Unfortunately, cyclist Kedar Narayan met with an accident during his event and is currently receiving treatment.

The felicitation ceremony took place at the JFC lounge, JRD Tata Sports Complex, where Chanakya Chaudhary, Director of Tata Steel Foundation, congratulated the champions on their international achievements.

Satbir Singh, Coach of Special Olympics Bharat, praised the athletes’ performance and dedication.

"For almost two years, we covered 60 km every day to ensure top-notch performance," he shared.

He also spoke about the added pressure due to the fewer number of participants and how some athletes are training to become coach assistants to further their sports careers.

He highlighted inclusion as the core value of sportsmanship.

Over 7000 Special Olympics athletes and unified partners from 190 nations gathered in Berlin for the Summer Games, with around 200 athletes and unified partners, and 60 coaches representing Special Olympics Bharat.

The Tata Steel Foundation’s Sabal Centre, which supports dignity for Persons with Disabilities and views sports as a significant empowerment tool, has been instrumental in their journey.

Sabal has assisted the athletes in prior National level preparatory camps and continuously works with SOB Jharkhand to promote sports among persons with intellectual disabilities.