Special Olympics World Games

Special Olympics World Games

• India ended their Special Olympics World Games campaign with a whopping 202 medals.
• India secured 76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze medals in the global multi-sport spectacle that celebrates unity, diversity and special skills among people with intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics World Games

• It was founded in 1968.
• The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
• The Special Olympics strives to create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people.

 Difference between Paralympic Games and Special Olympics

• The Special Olympics is solely  for athletes with intellectual disabilities. The Paralympics focus more on physical disabilities. 
• The Olympics and Paralympics are about elite competition and specialization, and the athletes compete in Olympic and Paralympic Games only once every four years in their sport.
• In contrast, the Special Olympics provides sporting opportunities throughout the year and across the world. 
• And in Special Olympics competitions, it’s a fundamental rule that athletes in competitions are matched up with others of the same competitive ability.
• The Paralympics are run by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). 
• The Special Olympics are run by Special Olympics International (SOI). 

Practice Questions for Prelims

Consider the following statements about Special Olympics:
1. It focuses on people with both physical and intellectual disabilities.
2. It provides sporting opportunities once in four years.

Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
a) Only 1
b) Only 2
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans. d)

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