Special children take part in cross-country race at JRD Tata Sports Complex. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, Nov. 6: High on excitement, the special kids lined up for the cross-country race at JRD Tata Sports Complex early this morning.

The Special Olympics Bharat (Jharkhand) has organised a cross-country race to evaluate the fitness and stamina of the special athletes who would take part in the big event soon.

“Cross country events are organised to get an idea about the stamina and fitness of the kids. It would helps us to select and train them for sports that will suited them best,” said Awtar Singh, the regional trainer of Special Olympics Bharat, Jharkhand.

Other than selecting the kids for the big event, the race would increase their confidence to fight all odds and overcome physical inability, Singh said.

He added that they have decided to conduct such races for different age groups in periodical intervals.

The race categorised into junior (11-15 years), senior (16-21 years) boys and girls categories witnessed participation of students of Cheshire Home, School of Hope, Asha Kiran, Society for Technical Assistance and Remedial Training, Parents’ Association for Mentally Handicapped Jamshedpur and some other institutions.

Area director Bailey Bodhanwalla and vice-president V.L. Gangras of Special Olympics Bharat, Jharkhand, and Sanjeeva Singh, the chief of Tata Steel sports department were present at the flag-off ceremony.

Dhananjay Kumar of School of Hope edged out Asha Kiran’s Abhay Toppo to claim the top slot in the boys’ 12-15 age category. Rahul Gupta of Asha Kiran stood third.

The race for girls saw Triparna Bhattacharya of People for Advancement of Handicapped racing ahead of Cheshire Home’s Manisha even as Rakhi Gope of School of Hope had to be satisfied with the third spot.

Asha Kiran’s Nandan Kumar Jha was the first to breast the tape in the boys’ senior age category. The youngster tripped schoolmates Shahid Sayed and David Bansyar.