Differently-Abled Children Participate In National Special Olympics Bharat At SOA In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of differently-abled children participated in a nationwide event of Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) at an auditorium of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) here on Thursday.

The event was part of the National Health Fest for Divyangjan conducted by SOB aiming to medically screen 75,000 children with intellectual disabilities in 75 cities of the country between April 5 and 7 as part of the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, marking 75th anniversary of Independence.

Across the country, 7,500 intellectually challenged child athletes jogged at 126 different locations at the same time for one minute as part of the programme to find place in the Guinness Book of  World Records.

At SOA, the children were examined by a team of doctors from department of Public Health Dentistry of the Institute of Dental Sciences (IDS), SOA’s faculty of dental sciences and Department of Physiotherapy of Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital during the day which coincided with the World Health Day.

Speaking at the inaugural function, SOA’s vice-chancellor Prof Ashok Kumar Mahapatra said there was a great need to strengthen people with intellectual disabilities who constituted about 25 per cent of the world’s population. Children with such disabilities have been winning laurels for the country in Para Olympics. He cited the example of Satish Gujral who is counted among the top five painters in the country though he was deaf and dumb.

Prakash Rath, Area Director for SOB, said the aim of the programme was to bring these children out of their homes where they were confined for two years due to COVID pandemic. Prof Neeta Mohanty, Dean of IDS; Prof Bijay Kumar Sahu, Dean of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), SOA’s faculty of agricultural sciences and Prof Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare) also spoke. Dr. Sthithipragyan Dalabehera, Head of the Department of Physiotherapy at IMS and SUM Hospital, conducted the programme. 

SOB, a National Sports Federation accredited by Special Olympics Inc, USA to conduct sports and development programmes all over India, is recognised by the Union Government for development of sports for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.