With over 15 lakh Athletes registered all over India, SO Bharat delivers trainings and competitions in 26 Olympic-type sports.
Special Olympics organizes sports and competitions at various levels- local, district, state, national and international and based on abilities and performance athletes cross each level to participate at higher consecutive levels. Special Olympics Bharat has a large pool of coaches and trainers that it draws on, for training Athletes. Coaches also undergo training to equip them to cater to our growing number of athletes as standalone coaches and trainers and as physical educators at local levels and special schools.
With the support of Sports Authority of India (SAI)/Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) under Annual Calendar for trainings & competitions (ACTC) the Athletes are trained at the National Coaching camps (NCC) enabling them to face international competitions. To train our coaches Advance Coaches Training Programs (ACTP) are organized all-round the year.
Sports
Summer Games
Aquatics
Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Bocce
Cricket
Cycling
Dancesport
Football
Golf
Handball
Judo
Netball
Power Lifting
Roller Skating
Softball
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball
Winter Games
Alpine Skiing
Floor Hockey
Figure Skating
Speed Skating
Snow Boarding
Snow Shoeing
Floor Ball
Divisioning
At Special Olympics competitions, all athletes are given an equal chance to participate, perform and be recognized for doing their best by their teammates, family, and fans. This happens through a unique process called divisioning.
Athletes are grouped by age, gender and ability – giving everyone a reasonable chance to win. You can see divisioning in action in all sports, including athletics, football (soccer), table tennis, skiing, or gymnastics.
Young Athletes & Developmental Sports
The Young Athletes program (YAP) is designed to introduce children ages two through seven to the benefits of sports involvement, and to prepare them for competitions when they are 8 years of age.
While children can participate in Young Athletes through age seven, as children get older, they are often ready for more sport-specific coaching and instruction. Developmental Sports activities can provide an age-appropriate introduction to sports for children with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 6-12 years old.
Children with and without intellectual disabilities can be effectively engaged in their homes with the support of objects that area easily available in our homes. The parents are educated in leading these activities . SO Bharat has compiled a YA (Young Athletes) Resource for supporting the family members in accomplishing this role. YA Resource
Unified Sports
Special Olympics Unified Sports brings together, in approximately equal numbers, Athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete on the same team. Throughout the year, in a variety of sports ranging from Football (Soccer) Basketball to golf to figure skating, Unified Sports athletes (players with Intellectual Disability) and Unified Partners (players without Intellectual Disability) improve their physical fitness, sharpen their skills, challenge the competition and have fun, too.
The concept of Unified Sports was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. Today, the initiative includes virtually all Special Olympics sports, and Unified Sports competitions are an important part of Special Olympics World Games, as well as local, State and National Games.
