The lockdown is helping special trainers improve their knowledge on handling intellectually impaired athletes.

Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), a national organisation working for the promotion of the intellectually challenged, in association with the ministry of sports and youth affairs is conducting a knowledge-enhancement webinar across the country.

Ten coaches from Jharkhand are part of the webinar that began on Friday and will conclude on May 6.

The first session on intellectual disability was conducted by SOB general secretary Dr Amitav Mishra.

Jharkhand coaches who are part of the webinar include Special Olympics Jharkhand assistant area director Satbir Singh Sahota and state’s lone international cyclist Lakhan Hansda,

Both are cycling mentors.

According to Sahota. SOB’s resource person (for cycling), the sessions will help the state mentors refresh their knowledge on topics crucial to the training of the intellectually-impaired instead of sitting idle at home. During the lockdown.

Victor Vaz, SOB’s national sports director, conducted the session on unified sports on Saturday.

It will be followed by a session on key issues and health challenges by Dr Reena R Kumar on Sunday.

Deepak Nitali will cover the topic on inclusion of Special Olympics on May 4 while Chitra Shah will shed light on mental and special health. Mukta. N. Thind will be presenting a topic on creating resource for special athletes on the concluding day.

Sahota said the presentations would be shared with other SOB coaches, special educators, resource teachers, parents and unified partners once the lockdown was lifted.

Lakhan, a tribal who lives in Damodih village in Potka block of East Singhbhum, said he felt happy to have attended the first two sessions.

“The training will resume once the lockdown ends. The presentation will be useful for the coaches who have to handle the special athletes with utmost care,” he added.