Special Olympics Football National Championship Concludes in Kolkata

New Delhi [India], November 26: The Special Olympics Bharat National Football Championship 2025 concluded on Wednesday at the SAI Complex, Salt Lake, after three days of competitive matches and uplifting performances by athletes from across the country. More than 300 participants from 22 states competed across Senior, Junior and Sub-Junior divisions, making it one of the most significant events for athletes with intellectual disabilities this year.

The closing ceremony was graced by Special Olympics Bharat president Dr Mallika Nadda, who praised the athletes for their discipline, courage and sportsmanship. She said Kolkata’s warmth and hospitality had made the championship memorable for teams, families and officials travelling from across India.

The tournament featured traditional Special Olympics formats, including unified 5-a-side matches in the Senior category, where three athletes played alongside two partners. Younger divisions followed standard formats. Across the three days, the SAI grounds witnessed tight finishes, determined defence and an unusually strong spirit of friendship among states. Officials confirmed that these matches form an early stage in the selection pathway for the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile.

Dr Nadda said the talent seen in Kolkata would help shape India’s football squads for international events. She noted that India has been a steady performer at the World Games, participating in 16 editions since 1986. India won 200 medals at the 2023 Berlin World Summer Games and secured 33 medals at the 2025 Turin World Winter Games, marking consistent growth.

She also announced that India’s Unified Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams will compete at the World Games in Puerto Rico on December 3. India’s Special Olympics footballers have already made their mark internationally, having won the Gothia Cup in Sweden for two consecutive years.

West Bengal remains one of the most active Special Olympics chapters. At the 2023 World Games, the state’s athletes clinched 9 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medal. In 2025, Bengal’s players — Sourav Roy, Pushpal Kar and Biki Duley — were part of the Indian team that lifted the Gothia Cup. Organisers said the Kolkata championship adds to this legacy by giving emerging players a competitive platform.

The championship opened earlier this week in the presence of Sushil Poddar, president of the Confederation of West Bengal Trade Associations, along with industry and institutional leaders Debashish Dutta, Ruchika Gupta, Aruna Tantia and Rajit Bhutoria. Their participation signalled growing partnerships between sport, industry and civic bodies in promoting inclusive development.

CA Pawan Kumar Patodia, vice-president of Special Olympics Bharat and president of its West Bengal chapter, highlighted the organisation’s long-term work in sports, health and leadership for persons with intellectual disabilities. He said athletes train hard and compete fearlessly, adding that they seek empathy and equal opportunity—not sympathy.

In her address, Dr Nadda urged corporates, governments and community institutions to work together to strengthen pathways for inclusive sports. Reiterating the national call “Each One Reach One”, she encouraged citizens to help create opportunities for Special Olympics athletes to grow and excel.

As medals were awarded and teams exchanged handshakes, organisers said the 2025 edition succeeded not only as a sporting championship but as a strong statement of inclusion. Special Olympics Bharat, recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, continues to operate programmes across 33 states, reaching thousands of children and adults every year.

Officials added that the Kolkata championship reaffirmed that inclusion is best demonstrated on the field — in effort, teamwork and shared pride.

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