World Winter Special Olympics: Solan’s specially abled athletes shine

Two specially abled athletes from Solan district, Abhishek and Riya, brought laurels to the region by winning four medals at the World Winter Special Olympic Games 2025 held in Turin, Italy, from March 5 to 16.

Abhishek of Prayas Sanstha, Solan, bagged three silver medals in alpine skiing, while Riya of Ganpati Sanstha, Kunihar, secured a bronze medal in floor ball. The games featured multiple events, including alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor ball, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and short-speed skating.

Himachal Pradesh delivered a stellar performance, winning 6 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals. The Indian delegation included 49 members, with 24 from Himachal Pradesh, led by Parikshit Mahdoodiya, Area Director of Special Olympics Himachal.

The medal-winning athletes were honored in Solan by Additional Deputy Commissioner Rahul Jain. Vice-president of Special Olympics Himachal Pradesh Rashimdhar Sood and Secretary Radhika Kapoor praised Abhishek and Riya for making the district proud.

Prayas Sanstha and Ganpati Sanstha play a crucial role in supporting specially abled children. Nirmal Thakur, Director of Prayas Sanstha, and Roshan Sharma of Ganpati Sanstha called their performance at the international level exemplary and a proud moment for the state.

The Special Olympics Solan team expressed gratitude to Dr. Mallika Nadda, Chairperson of Special Olympics Bharat and President of Himachal Pradesh, for her dedication to the upliftment of specially abled children. Dr. Nadda has been working tirelessly for their empowerment for several years. She extended her heartfelt congratulations to the winners.

The felicitation ceremony was attended by Special Olympics District President RS Chandel, press secretary Kewal Singh Chandel, members Namit Gupta, Dr. Sanjay Aggarwal, Komdi Dhal, Usha Thakur, Raghuvanshi and coaches Lalita and Raj Kumar.