Special athletes handpicked for the maiden national tourney in Jamshedpur on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

After blazing the tracks in the districts, Jharkhand’s special athletes are set to make their mark at the first National Games (for all disabilities) in Chennai from February 17- 22.

Special Olympics Bharat (state ) on Monday announced its 40-member outfit, including nine coaches, for the Games, an initiative of Union ministry of youth affairs and sports. Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) is its nodal agency.

State unit area director Bailey Bodhanwala said they were upbeat about the event, where Jharkhand would take part in athletics, soccer, bocce and badminton.

“We have picked up players based on performances in district-level events in Ranchi, Bokaro, East and West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan during 2010-11,” he added.

His deputy Satbir Singh Sahota said mentally retarded, hearing impaired and physically challenged players would participate in the Games.

The team will leave for the venue on Tuesday.

While Pradeep Toppo, Sunil Bando, Kameshwar Mahto, Jawaharlal Gope, Keshav Kumar, Mamun Rashid, Preeti Kumari, Puja Kumari, Lalita Hembrom, Usha Kumari Mahto, Monika Mahto and Soni Kumari have found slots in athletics, Mukesh Jha, Prashant Kumar Sinha, Rohit Nag, Gubir Kaur, Jagriti Kumari and Shabbu Khatun have made it to the badminton unit.

Md Shahban, Rai Singh, Gurcharan Kumar, Sajid Ali, Deepak Kashyap, Vikram Naik, Rahul K. Singh, David Bansryar Ho, Debashish Bagal, Norual Hassan, P. Uday Shankar and Purshottam Singh form the soccer squad. Arun Kumar and Preeti Raj are the chosen bocce players.

Mentors comprise Brijesh Prasad, Vaidya Sagar and Anita Tirkey in athletics; Krishna Purty and Panna Dey in badminton; K. Gopal Rao, O.S. Ashok Kumar and Tirkey again in soccer; and Sumita Ghosh for bocce.