Two mentally handicapped athletes from Gujarat have performed brilliantly at the Special Olympic World Winter Games held in Turin, Italy. Mehsana’s Asaben Thakor and Dahod’s Pinkben Chauhan have brought laurels to the state and country by winning a bronze medal in Fluorball in Turin.
Fluorball is an indoor game similar to hockey.
Which is played with a light plastic ball and a special carbon fiber stick. It is noteworthy that special Olympic World Winter Games were organized in Turin, Italy from 8 to 15 March 2025, in which 30 athletes from India participated in various games, of which Asain Thakor and Pinkben Chauhan performed outstanding in Floorball Games.
Players qualify for national level competitions
Special Sports Festival has been organized by the Gujarat Sports Authority since 2010 for mentally disabled athletes. In the context of the International Organization Special Olympics, the ‘Special Olympic India-Gujarat’ is a nodal organization recognized by the Gujarat Sports Authority. Since 2010, the Gujarat Sports Authority has been organizing a special game Mahakumbh for the Divyang category. The best performing participants of these qualifications for national level competitions and are selected for world games held every two years in different countries.
Sports Mahakumbh 3.0 record breaks up to 71,30,834
Sports Mahakumbh has also played an important role in making Ashaben and Pinkbane the international champion. Both these players have been participating in the special game Mahakumbh organized by the Government of Gujarat since 2010 and have become the winner. The Khel Mahakumbh was started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the aim of promoting sports in the state. The Khel Mahakumbh was started in the year 2010 by the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which aims to create more awareness among the youth in the state, maintain physical fitness and create sports culture in Gujarat. Since then, every year various competitions are organized from village level to state level in Khel Mahakumbh every year. Khel Mahakumbh in Gujarat has not only become a platform for the discovery of sports talents, but has also become a pillar of sports development in the entire state of Gujarat. In 2010, about 16.50 lakh athletes were registered to participate in the Khel Mahakumbh held in Gujarat, which has increased to 71,30,834 in the Sports Mahakumbh 3.0 in 2024-25.
Sports Policy 2022-2027 launched to develop sports ecosystems in the state
It is noteworthy that under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Gujarat started the sports policy 2022-2027, which aims to develop sports ecosystems in the state. The new policy will lead Gujarat in sports in the coming times and will provide more opportunities for the state’s talented athletes to realize their dreams. Today, in Gujarat, in the last two decades, the youth of Gujarat have come forward in the field of sports, their capacity has increased. The credit goes to the tireless efforts of the Government of Gujarat.
Gujarat’s sports budget increased by 141 times to more than Rs 352 crore
Under the visionary leadership of the then Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of Gujarat state, many new initiatives, programs and policies like Khel Mahakumbh, Shakti Scheme, DLSS were introduced, under which athletes are provided with proper training, financial assistance and recognition. Before 2002, the sports budget of Gujarat was only ₹ 2.5 crore, which has increased by 141 times today to more than ₹ 352 crore.
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