Rahul Kumar Sharma of Giridih, son of a daily wager, has qualified for the national floorball final preparatory camp for the Special Olympics World Winter Games to be held at Kaza, Russia from January 22 to 28 next year.
Rahul, along with Jamshedpur-based Sital Sikka, had attended the national preparatory camp in Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) in March this year. However, Sital could not make it to the final camp while Rahul made the cut.
Ranchi-based floorball coach Abhiranjan Kumar will also attend the final preparatory camp. He had accompanied Rahul and Sital to Bilaspur.
The final preparatory camp is scheduled in New Delhi from July 1 to 10, said Special Olympics Jharkhand (SOJ) assistant area director Satbir Singh Sahota.
"We're happy that Rahul has made it to the final preparatory camp. He (Rahul) is a good player and was expected to make the cut. We were also optimistic about Sikka but he must not have performed well," Sahota, also regional sports advisor (east Zone) of Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), a national organisation which promotes intellectually impaired athletes, said.
According to him, performance of athletes will be the key in getting a slot in the Indian floorball squad for the World Winter Games. "Rahul is in good form and is expected to make it to the national squad. The SOB would also organise another camp (after the final one) before the national contingent leaves for Russia in January,” Sahota informed.
In a bid to keep Rahul fit before the final preparatory camp, the SOJ has plans to conduct a short training camp in the steel city. "The training camp will be organised if the state government allows the stadiums to reopen. The stadiums are presently shut in view of the pandemic," Sahota said.
"We have asked Rahul to work on his fitness at home. A lot will depend on fitness when he participates in the final preparatory camp," Sahota added.
Rahul and Abhiranjan will be leaving for New Delhi on June 29. The SOJ has already booked their train tickets.
A fair number of special athletes from Jamshedpur have represented the country (in various sports disciplines) at the World Games organised under the banner of Special Olympics International.
