Team CLAW is a team of Special Forces Veterans from the Indian Armed Forces creating specialised ecosystems for empowering people with disabilities under their flagship initiative 'Operation Blue Freedom'.
Operation Blue Freedom - Triple World Record Series is a series of three new world records in Land, Air and Water by a global team of people with disabilities trained by Special Forces Veterans (Team CLAW - Conquer Land Air Water)
*Land - Siachen Glacier - Largest Team of Divyangjan to scale the world's highest battlefield - Completed in September 2021.
*Air - Largest team of people with disabilities to skydive independently in a single event - To be executed in 2022.
*Water - Largest team of people with disabilities to scuba dive independently in open seas - scheduled in Lakshadweep Islands in February 2022.
Recently the 'Team CLAW' has received in-principle approval from the Lakshadweep Administration to execute the Operation Blue Freedom - Water World Record', in Lakshadweep Islands by a global team of people with disabilities from 20 different countries. The new world record for the largest team of people with disabilities to scuba dive independently will be attempted in the month of February in Lakshadweep Islands.
Operation Blue Freedom synergises the skillsets of retiring Special Forces veterans for the rehabilitation and reskilling of people with disabilities through therapeutic adaptive adventure sports, all-terrain extreme survival skills and emergency medical skills.
Operation Blue Freedom was launched by the then Sports Minister of India, Kiren Rijiju in 2019 at New Delhi, when 'Team CLAW' trained several war veterans on wheelchairs in 'therapeutic adaptive scuba Diving'.
Recently, the team had successfully created the world record for the largest team of people with disabilities to scale the world's highest battlefield, which was the first of the three world records under the 'Operation Blue Freedom - Triple World Record' series. This was even lauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as signifying 'Can do' attitude of Indians in his address to the nation on September 26, 2021.
"The larger vision behind the creation of the world records is to set up the world's first Human Ability Biome - an empowering ecosystem for Divyangjan worldwide", says Major. Vivek Jacob (Retd), Founder of 'Team CLAW' and 'Operation Blue Freedom'.
At Siachen Glacier, Team CLAW created the world record for 'Largest number of people with disabilities to scale the world's highest battlefield (Siachen Glacier)' by scaling up to Kumar Post at an altitude of 15,632 feet. They were trained and led by Team CLAW and were strongly backed by the Indian Army.
Major. Jacob also thanked all the stakeholders and patrons, whose collective, collaborative spirits and timely supports has aided the grand and successful completion of the world record seamlessly, particularly The Indian Army, The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Exxon-Mobil, Team Mahindra and Car India.
"The Team CLAW and the people with disabilities trained by them personify Farak Laakar Dekhiye, which is what Exxon Mobil stands for in India through expertise, innovation and performance", and it gives us immense pride in supporting the team in re-defining new frontiers of mobility for people with disabilities worldwide, said Imtiaz Ahmed, GM (Marketing Deployment, Consumer Marketing), ExxonMobil Lubricants.
Unlike the land world record, where the participation of PWDs were limited to people from India, the water world record, on the other hand, will be a global event where PWDs from across the world can sign up and participate, says Major. Arun Ambathy, Director - Team CLAW and Operation Blue Freedom. On the occasion of International Day of People with Disabilities, 'Team CLAW' has invited the global community of people with disabilities to sign-up for the Water World Record in a virtual event.
Youtube Video -
People with disabilities can sign-up to be part of the scuba diving world record at the following website -
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( With inputs from ANI )
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