Thirteen intellectually challenged athletes from Anantapur will take part in the Special Olympics World Games scheduled to be held at Los Angeles (U.S.A.) later this month.
These athletes are nurtured by the Rural Development Trust (RDT) through its community based rehabilitation schools which began in 2010.These schools were started with the support of the Special Olympics Bharat in order to empower ‘special’ athletes and integrate them into society.
In 2011, three athletes, a boy and two girls, represented Anantapur at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens in 2011. They came back with four medals. “This success changed their lives for good. It encouraged other intellectually-abled children numbering 34 to join the programme,” said Anne Ferrer, co-founder of RDT, on Monday.
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Of these 34 athletes, 13 athletes, 7 girls and 6 boys, will represent India as part of the 200- strong Indian contingent in Los Angeles. Nearly 7,000 participants from 170 countries are taking part in this weeklong sports extravaganza.
The RDT’s athletes in the Indian contingent are N. Lakshmi, Vani, Chandrashekhar and Ramachandra (Volleyball), Asifa and Uma Maheshwari (basketball), Balakrishna and Kullaima (badminton), Erryswamy and Naresh (weightlifting), Aswini (handball) Sreelatha (table tennis) and Sanjeeva Reddy (football).
These athletes are nurtured by the Rural Development Trust (RDT) through its community based rehabilitation schools which began in 2010