Jamshedpur: Md Sajid, a former special athlete from the steel city, is ready to assume a new role after flaunting India colours at various international competitions.

Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) has appointed Sajid as an assistant coach of the national football team for the Special Olympics World Summer Games to be held in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21 next year. It is for the first time a special athlete from Jharkhand has been appointed mentor for a national or international competition.

The credit for Sajid's appointment goes to Jharkhand Special Olympics, which developed him as a coach by providing technical support. Sajid also picked up leadership skills by working under experienced mentors.

Jharkhand Special Olympics assistant area director Satbir Singh Sahota said Sajid was hardworking and soft-spoken. "He took to coaching soon after returning from Los Angeles where he was part of the Indian football outfit at World Summer Games in 2015. We wish him all the best for Abu Dhabi," Singh said.

Sajid, he added, would return with loads of experience. "This is his first international assignment as a coach."

Besides Los Angeles, Sajid has also represented the country in the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Championship (Bangkok, 2013), regional football championships in Dhaka (2014) and Bhubaneswar (2016).

Twenty-five-year-old Sajid, a resident of Birsanagar who works as a chef-cum-assistant at La Gravitea (tea café) at Circuit House, will leave for Bhubaneswar to attend a preparatory camp scheduled from September 1-6.

"I am thankful to the state chapter of SOB for helping me become a coach. I will try to do my best. It is a big opportunity for me," Sajid said.

The former special athlete was also part of the national camp conducted at Gurgaon in March and Pilani in June.

"I learnt a lot of things by attending these two preparatory camps. Working under experienced mentors helped me hone my mentoring techniques," Sajid added.