Special Olympics Bharat Athletes return unbeaten with the prestigious Gothia Cup 2024
Special Olympics Bharat hosted a grand welcome ceremony at The Lalit, New Delhi, for its 10-member Indian football team to celebrate their triumphant return from the Gothia Cup. From July 14 to 18, the Gothia Cup team performed admirably at Gothenburg, Sweden, remaining unbeaten throughout.
The SKF India-supported team consisted of athletes who had intellectual and developmental delays but shrugged off all odds to lift the prestigious Gothia Cup.
Chief Guest Ms. Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr. Mallika Nadda, Chairperson, SO Bharat and Chairperson, Asia Pacific Advisory Council APAC, and Dr. Upasna Arora, Treasurer SO Bharat, attended the welcome ceremony.
The inauguration of the Gothia Cup was done in a colorful ceremony on July 15 at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. More than 49,000 people witnessed this event.
There were as many as 1,910 participating teams, including 50 Special Olympics teams from 15 countries. The SO Bharat team was pooled in Group 5 with Parasport Denmark 2, Special Olympics Finland Mixed, Special Olympics Hong Kong, and Special Olympics Germany 1.
The Indian team dominated all their group-stage matches with great victories. They had a 3-0 victory in the opening game against SO Finland, followed by a 6-0 win against SO Germany and another 6-0 win over Hong Kong. In their last group match, SO Bharat defeated SO Denmark 3-1. The final was a nail-biter when SO Bharat clinched the Gothia Cup with a thrilling 4-3 victory against SO Denmark.
One of the star performers was Kerala's Muhammad Shaheer, who netted seven, the highest by any Indian player in this tournament. Shaheer is the son of a fisherman. Intellectually disabled, he has a passion for playing football, cycling, and swimming.
Chief guests congratulate the Gothia Cup team at the Special Olympics Bharat welcome ceremony
Dr. Mallika Nadda was jubilant about the win and complimented the training regime of the athletes and their motivation. She thanked SKF India and the Embassy of Sweden in India and was quoted as saying in a press release:
“Today is a significant day for us as it’s the Global Day of Inclusion. It gives me immense pleasure to mark this day with the victory of the SO Bharat Champions at the Gothia Cup tournament."
She further added:
I am grateful to team SKF India for opening this phenomenal opportunity for our Athletes and also for their enthusiastic support. The support of the Embassy of Sweden in India further made the experience heartwarming.”
Ms Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports also congratulated the Indian contingent for Gothia Cup success. She was quoted as saying:
"These athletes have gone through many struggles and hardships throughout their lives, and yet have brought such a prestigious glory for our country. These athletes are taking the nation forward and their success will surely inspire generations to come."
Excellent coordination among team members is one of the prime reasons for their success, said team coach Harpreet Singh Gambhir.
Team coordination was one of the main factors which led our team to victory. The discipline and focus with which every athlete followed instructions was overwhelming."
Mukund Vasudevan, SKF India and Southeast Asia's president added that the dedication and resilience shown by the team is something to take inspiration from and reiterated SKF India's further commitment toward diversity and inclusivity at work.
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to our incredible team of football players for their outstanding victory. We are immensely proud to have supported these talented individuals in showcasing their abilities on an international stage."
The inaugural SO Bharat contingent for the Gothia Cup featured athletes and coaches from localities such as Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.