Jamshedpur: City's special athlete Achal Gaurav will represent the state at the National Youth Leadership Conference organised by Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) in New Delhi from August 16 to 18.

The conference will mark 50 years of Special Olympics started by late Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968. Since then, the movement has spread to more than 195 countries.

Achal, who represented the country in two international competitions, bagged cycling silver at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in North Carolina (1999) and followed it up with a gold in floor hockey at the Games in Idaho (2009).

He is presently a sports trainer and special educator at Bistupur-based School of Hope besides being a youth leader for Special Olympics Jharkhand.

"I thank Special Olympics Jharkhand for nominating me for the conference. I am looking forward to the event and hope to pick up new ideas from other participants," Achal said.

"The conference will give Achal the much-needed exposure to help him develop and grow in the field of Special Olympics. We are very happy to nominate him for the prestigious event," said Jharkhand Special Olympics assistant area director Satbir Singh Sahota.

Sahota said the conference would be attended by 35 youth leaders who have been working in various states and at the New Delhi-based headquarters of SOB, a national organisation which promotes the intellectually impaired through sports. "We hope Achal will not only become a role model for his colleagues and former athletes in Jharkhand, but also at the national level."

Sahota said the meet would discuss the role of youth leaders across different initiatives, formation of youth activation committees, among others.