The Special Olympics World Games 2023 came to an end in Berlin on Monday following the closing ceremony which was held at the historical Brandenburg gate. Since the name of the official mascot this year was chosen by the special athletes across the globe, to be ‘Unity’, the location for the closing ceremony was chosen keeping in mind it’s significance as the symbol of unity, as it served as the restricted zone when the city was divided by the Berlin wall.
India’s performance at the Special Olympics this year was exceptional as the country finished their campaign with a total 202 medals (76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze medals). The last event of the games- the track and field events, fetched the Indian athletes a total of 6 medals- 2 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze. Aanchal Goyal (400m, Level B Female) and Ravimathi Arumugam (400m, Level C Female) won a gold medal each while Saket Kundu grabbed two medals- a silver in mini javelin Level B and a bronze in Level B 400 m.
Indian athlete poses with the medal
photo: Special Olympics Bharat
India dominated the Special Olympics this year as the contingent gave an extraordinary performance across various sports. Roller skating fetched the country 5 medals including 2 gold medals and 3 silver medals. Basketball and Volleyball were other sports that India dominated as the men's 5x5 basketball team managed to beat Portugal to clinch a gold medal while the women's unified volleyball team defeated UAE in the finals to emerge as the winners.
The women's 5x5 basketball team won a silver after it was beaten by Sweden while the men's volleyball team won a bronze medal after defeating Korea. While India won 5 medals in swimming, including 3 gold medals, every member of the Indian team won a medal in cycling, including 1 gold. India performed exceptionally well in other sports as well, including table tennis, lawn tennis, judo, powerlifting, handball and badminton.
Athletes posing with their medals at the Special Olympics and World Games 2023
photo: Special Olympics Bharat
Special Olympics World Games this year was witnessed by 3,30,000 spectators live while others watched it on television and through other mediums. The mascot, this year, was named ‘Unity’, by special athletes, to celebrate inclusivity and togetherness. The World games was broadcasted worldwide to celebrate the sporting spirit and to reduce the stereotypes attached to people with special needs. The motto for this year’s Special Olympics and World Games was “unbeatable together”. The members of every contingent were invited onto the stage during the closing ceremony to put a sense of unity to display and strengthen the core value of Special Olympics.
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