2nd SOB-Odisha - OLS Sports Centre supported by Z Estates Private Limited inaugurated in Bhubaneswar
Bhubaneswar(06/11/2024): The 2nd Special Olympics Bharat-Odisha Sports Centre was inaugurated today at Open Learning Systems (OLS) with the support of CSR of Z Estates Private Limited Swayam Mohanty, Executive Director, Z Estates Pvt Ltd inaugurated the Sports Centre along with Prakash Rath, CEO, OLS and Suresh Khuntia, Treasurer, SOB-Odisha and Arpita Mohapatra, State Program Coordinator, SOB-Odisha by cutting the ribbon in the indoor hall of OLS.
Manatosh Behera, Principal, School for the Children with Intellectual Disability and Board Member of SOB-Odisha presided over the inaugural ceremony.
He highlighted the national and international achievements of the students of OLS in Special Olympics and the contribution of the organisation to the development of the Special Olympics movement in the state. The Sports Centre will cater to the sports needs of nearly 150 athletes with intellectual disability and 50 athletes without disability from Bhubaneswar and its periphery.
The high quality sports equipment procured for the use by the athletes were on display in the Centre. Students of the centre demonstrated their skills in roller skating, swimming and bowling to the guests.
Prakash Rath, the CEO, OLS and Area Director, SOB-Odisha expressed his gratitude to Tapan Kumar Mohanty, MD, Z Estates Pvt.Ltd.for his unconditional support without which it would have been very difficult to start the Centre.
"There is a crying need for the Sports Department of the state to support the Special Olympics Bharat state chapter in all its efforts because it is the only Olympics that brings hundreds of medals from international events including both summer and winter games but its athletes, coaches, officials are the most neglected and their is no proper infrastructure or services for the development of their sports", opined Rath.
He exhorted the corporate houses, the public and the administration to lend their helping hand in the development and sustainability of the Centre and to develop it into a Centre of Excellence. International Special Olympics Athlete and medallist, Sarita Routray, has been appointed as the Trainer of the Centre who will work under the guidance of the internationally acclaimed Coach, Arpita Mohapatra and overall supervision of the Principal, School for Children with Intellectual Disability. The students and staff members enjoyed the ceremony as well as the sports events thoroughly.
Swayam Mohanty expressed his satisfaction over the arrangements and the facilities and services of the Centre. Prakash Rath informed that 3 centres will be operational with the support received from Z Estates Pvt.Ltd., one each at Bhubaneswar, Saintala and Keonjhar.
Two centres have already been opened and operational.
The one at Keonjhar in the campus of Prayas Special School run by SADBHABANA will be inaugurated and functional soon. The staff members of OLS under the direction of Sagarika Sahoo, Principal, Centre of Special Education for Children with Cerebral Palsy organised the event successfully.
