New Delhi [India], April 8 : The five-day-long Men's and Women's National Roller Skating Championship came to a conclusion at Leisure Valley Skating Ring, Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana, Punjab in Ludhiana, with Andhra Pradesh emerging as the top state with 18 medals, as per the Special Olympics Bharat press release.
The tournament was a part of the preparations for the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2027 and served as a platform to promote awareness and create high-level opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The tournament was graced by several special dignitaries as Chief Guests including Shri Sanjeev Arora, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, and Shri Himanshu Jain, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana.
Representing 20 states, 110 athletes, comprising 47 female and 63 male athletes, took part across eight sporting disciplines - 30m Straight, 30m Slalom, 100m, 300m, 500m, 1000m, Relay 2x200 and Relay 2x100. Around 60 coaches, volunteers and resource personnel also participated in making the event a huge success.
The athletes from Andhra Pradesh performed well to win 6 gold, 5 silver and 7 bronze medals. Meanwhile, Goa (4 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze) and Haryana (7 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze) followed up with 15 medals each while Gujarat earned 14 medals (3 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze).
States with most medals:
1) Andhra Pradesh - 18 (6 gold, 5 silver, 7 bronze)
2) Goa - 15 (4 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze)
3) Haryana - 15 (7 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze)
4) Gujarat - 14 (3 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze)
5) Punjab - 13 (6 gold, 4 silver, 3 bronze)
6) Chandigarh - 11 (5 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze)
7) Delhi - 11 (6 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
8) Himachal Pradesh - 11 (4 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze)
9) Maharashtra - 11 (3 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze)
10) Kerala - 8 (1 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze)
Mallika Nadda, President of Special Olympics Bharat, applauded the event, said as quoted the press release, "We are elated to have concluded the 2025 National Roller Skating Championship at Ludhiana, Punjab. This championship is not just about competitionit's about inclusion, dignity and recognizing the immense potential within every athlete. It's about welcoming everyone, celebrating each athlete's worth and shining a spotlight on the amazing talents that often go unnoticed."
"Together, we're tearing down walls and building rampsso everyone can roll forward with confidence and pride. Thank you to every athlete, coach, volunteer and family member and especially Paramjeet Sachdeva ji, Area Director, SO Bharat - Punjab, Your passion fuels this movement. Let's keep rolling toward a world where everyone belongs. With this tournament, we kick start our preparations for the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games," Malika Nadda added.
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