Gangtok, 4th July 2026:In a significant step towards promoting inclusive sports in the state, Special Olympics Bharat, Sikkim Chapter today flagged off four coaches from the Chairman’s Office, Sports & Youth Affairs Department, to represent Sikkim at the _Training Program on Inclusive Sports_ under Special Olympics Bharat to be held at Dimapur, Nagaland.
The coaches flagged off ,included, Ekalavya Chettri, Chandra Maya Das, Doma Sherpa, and Mahesh Pokhrel. The flag-off ceremony was conducted under the chairmanship of Rinzing Wangyal Chopel, Chairman, SOB Sikkim Chapter. Addressing the gathering, he said the training will help build specialized coaching capacity for athletes with intellectual disabilities and further strengthen Sikkim’s participation in national inclusive sports platforms.Roadmap for futsal was also carved out.
The flag-off was followed by a high-level meeting of SOB Sikkim Chapter at the Sports & Youth Affairs Department to chart the roadmap for sports development in the state. The meeting resolved to organize an Inter-District Futsal Championship followed by the State Level Futsal Championship in association with the Futsal Association of Sikkim. The initiative aims to promote participation and identify talent, including athletes with intellectual disabilities.
Chairman Rinzing Wangyal Chopel stressed the need for enhanced budgetary allocation for sports and futsal, and it was resolved to utilize existing school infrastructure for training and competitions while also exploring special funds from the Government. To support these programs, the Chapter will issue letters to potential sponsors through SOB Sikkim Chapter to mobilize resources for Special Olympics initiatives.
The meeting also decided to invite a representative from the Futsal Association of Sikkim to the next preliminary meeting for technical coordination of the upcoming championships. Tashi Chophel,Secretary, Education Department, assured full cooperation to integrate inclusive sports and futsal in schools with special focus on children with special needs. A letter seeking enhanced financial support and policy intervention for inclusive sports was also submitted for onward transmission to the Hon’ble Chief Minister.
Dr. Remon Chettri, Director, Sports and SOB Sikkim Chapter, made a detailed presentation on the current status and future roadmap for special sports in Sikkim with emphasis on futsal and inclusive programs.
The meeting was attended by Bhim Kumari Sharma, Advisor, SOB Sikkim; Asha Khatri, Additional Director, Education; Reshma Tamang, Coordinator, Education; Sonam Palzor Lepcha, Joint Director, Sports; Basant Pradhan, Deputy Director, Coaching;
Subhadra Gurung and Bhanu Chapagain, Assistant Directors, Sports; along with President Kuber Sharma, General Secretary Kiran Dhakal and other members of SOB Sikkim Chapter.
‘SOB Sikkim Chapter reaffirmed its commitment to expedite preparations and work in close coordination with the Sports Department, Education Department, and FAS to make inclusive sports a mass movement in Sikkim,said GC Khanal Area Director,SOB,Sikkim Chapter.
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