Divyangan contingent all set to represent India at 10th International Abilympics in France

Delhi, India: 13 nationally selected persons with disabilities from India will participate at the 10th International Abilympics, the global skills competition for persons with disabilities in Metz, France scheduled from March 23-26, 2023. Representing India in the 12 Skill Categories, the contingent has entered the last leg of their practice sessions with multiple boot camps being held across the country. The team hailing from across the country will participate in select trades from overall 45 Competitive skill categories, under ICT, Crafts, Hospitality, Services and Industry. The event aims to create public awareness and nurture the productive talent of persons with disabilities by providing them opportunities to acquire and enhance their vocational skills to achieve economic independence.

Organized by the Abilympics France association in partnership with WorldSkills France, this major event will meet nearly 1500 participants from across the globe. Abilympics (Olympics of Abilities): a movement of ‘Excellence in Skilling’ comprises of vocational skills competitions, specifically designed for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), to screen and showcase the best talent in vocational skill categories like IT, Arts & Crafts, Hospitality and Services. The first Abilympics competition was held in Tokyo in 1981 to commemorate the United Nations’ International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP). Abilympics France is a non-profit association established in 2014. Its main role is to promote the participation of people with disabilities in skills competition in France and at the international level. The Abilympics skill competitions are held in skill trades, what the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent in sports.

Dr. Jitendra Aggarwal, Founder CEO Sarthak Educational Trust & Secretary General NAAI shares, “We are poised to promote Abilympics in the country and provide exposure and equal opportunities for disabled persons to advanced technologies in various vocational, leisure and living skills thus boosting their confidence as the abilympics demonstrate the professional excellence of persons with disabilities in a competitive situation”.

Since 2016, National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI) and Sarthak Educational Trust has been jointly paving the way for more inclusive approach towards the cause of disability inclusivity by working closely with Government Agencies, Corporate Bodies, Civil Societies, and PwDs from rural & urban India.

The boot camps & training sessions are conducted across the country and several organizations & corporatehave joined hands to train the participants. Painting, Embroidery training is been conducted at Lady Irwin College, Tailoring & Dress Making is held at ATDC, Gurugram, Poster Designing at SGT University, Gurugram, Bakery at St. Regis Hotel, Mumbai, Restaurant Service in Efcee Sarovar, Bhavnagar and more.

Hailing from Surat, Mumbai, Jabalpur, Vijaywada, Chennai, Pune, Mysore, Bhavnagar, Gaya and Chandigarh the nationally selected 13 talented PwDs are now gearing up to participate in the upcoming International Abilympics, scheduled in Metz, France in March 2023.

In the past our glorious PwD achievers have brought laurels to our country, Mr. Rajneesh Agarwal from Jabalpur is one of them. Being wheelchair-bound didn’t deter him from participating in Abilympics and his immense talent led him to win a Silver medal for the country in the Web Development event in Bordeaux, France (2016), a Special prize in Computer Programming in South Korea (2011). He also represented India in Computer Programming, in Shizuoka, JAPAN (2007).

Another multi-talented candidate Mr. P. Sai Krishnan from Chennai, despite his locomotor disability, has made our Country proud by winning a Silver medal in Japan International Abilympics (2007) and followed it up by winning a Certificate of Appreciation (4th position) in the next International Abilympics (France, 2016), in the Photography skill category.

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