BHUBANESWAR 29-Nov-2016
As many as 35 trainees from 10 states of India were joined by nine athletes (persons with intellectual disabilities) and seven unified partners (persons without intellectual disabilities) on the third and final day of the Special Olympics Coach Development Program, which was conducted in partnership with the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation Club at the KIIT University grounds here today.
The three-day programmed took place under supervision of Joshua Kelly and Daniel Dodge, Tottenham trainers from United Kingdom. M M Khurram and Samantha Francesca D’Costa, National Trainers, Special Olympics Bharat led the training which concluded with a changed perception of the sport, highlighting its wider application for unifying the society.
Focusing on improving skills of football coaches across Asia to create a superior football experience for athletes with intellectual disabilities, the Special Olympics Coach Development Program aims to utilize this experience in promoting social inclusion. The program commenced in India in 2014 moving its way deeper into the cities and districts of the country touching more coaches and athletes along with building capacity of the coach educators to deliver viable and meaningful lessons.
The Special Olympics Coach Development Program is first in a series of three events which would conclude with an Inter-Regional Unified 11-a-side Football Tournament with participation of teams from Bangladesh, Korea, Thailand and India. This training will be followed by the Unified Football Referee Training from Nov 30 to Dec 1.
Professional referees from all over India will be participating in this program which will be led by Calvin Stacy Lovering Jr, an international referee who has been a volunteer at the Washington State Special Olympics since in 2003. Christian Guiralt, Director of Sports Development for Special Olympics Latin America will be joining him.
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PHOTO: Paticipants at the Special Olympics Coach Development Program in Bhubaneswar on Nov 29, 2016.
