Belapur: Yash Mhaske, a student of Swami Brahmanand Pratishthan, an institution for special children, Belapur, has won gold in 100-metre athletics and silver in shot put in the Special Olympics State Games held in Kolhapur last week.
Twenty-seven-year-old Yash has been studying in the institution since he was five years old, and has moderate level of retardation. “Although he could not read or write, he showed keen interest in sports,” said Sukanya Venkataraman, principal of the institution.
“Yash was interested in sports right from his childhood. When he was just two and a half years old, he participated in an athletic competition at Wankhede stadium and bagged fifth position. Since then, he has been participating in various competitions and bringing medals,” said Pushpa Mhaske, Yash’s mother.
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“Yash is dedicated and extremely hard working and has great inclination towards sports. He has participated in the Special Olympics at district, State and national levels,” said coach Sarang Rathod.
“In 2013, Yash even participated in the Special Olympics Asia-Pacific Games. He won silver in shot put and bronze in 100-metre sprint,” he said.
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