Sri Lanka to field seven athletes for Special Olympics 2015

Four Sri Lankan athletes took part at the Special Olympics 2013 in Australia

By Hishan Welmilla, 

Sri Lanka will field seven athletes at the Special Olympics World Games 2015 to be worked off from 25 July to 2 August in Los Angeles, California.

Sri Lanka will compete in two sports – athletics and badminton. Three coaches are also expecting to attend the event and the total contingent of Sri Lankans would be around 12 with officials and other delegates.

Sri Lankan history at Special Olympics

Sri Lanka participated at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece in 2011 with 13 Special athletes and had been able to win 11 Gold medals, five Silver medals and one Bronze medal.

In 2013, the SOS participated at the Special Olympics World Games in Sydney with 20 special athletes where they won five Gold medals, four Silvers and eight Bronze medals.

Special Olympics Serendib (Sri Lanka) Chairman Dr. Nimal Kariyawasam was optimistic that this year Sri Lanka could produce some medal-winning performances.

“We have been doing well since 2011 at the Special Olympics and continue to win medals for our country. I have confidence that our athletes will come back with some medals this year as well,” Kariyawasam said.

City of Simi Valley to host Special Olympics delegations from Peru, Sri Lanka and Zambia

Meanwhile, the City of Simi Valley and the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce will host Special Olympics delegations of athletes and coaches from Peru, Sri Lanka and Zambia as part of the Special Olympics World Games Host Town program.

Before the World Games begin on 25 July, the delegations will spend 21 to 24 July in Simi Valley, as they become acclimated to the time zone, visit the city and prepare to compete at the World Games.

The Host Town program has been an important element of Special Olympics World Games since 1995. The experience has left a lasting impression on the local communities in Ireland, Japan, China, Greece, South Korea and the United States, all of which have previously organised Host Town programs as part of the Special Olympics World Games. Communities are evaluated on the availability of lodging accommodations, sports practice facilities and recreation/entertainment offerings for the athletes, among other criteria. Each Host Town committee is also responsible for planning activities for the athletes to introduce them to the community and help spread the word about the World Games.

Featuring 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout LA, the Special Olympics is expected to attract 80,000 spectators this year, with millions more watching on their TV screens around the world. Big names will be attending the games, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Governor Jerry Brown.

With more than 7000 athletes and 3000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.

The opening ceremony of the World Games will be held at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on 25 July and televised to a worldwide audience by ESPN.

Special Olympic History

The Special Olympics are a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. It empowers people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.

Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, the Special Olympics are fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 177 countries.