Special Olympics joins SAI and AIFF's E-Pathshala

Special Olympics Bharat has teamed up with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to join E-Pathshala, a web training module aimed at developing interest and creativity in football among budding athletes.

Special Olympics coaches from 17 states attended the session on Thursday, when they were trained on how to enable special athletes to engage with the platform virtually and enhance their football skills.

The session was facilitated by Victor R Vaz, National Sports Director, SO Bharat, and witnessed the active participation of distinguished representatives from the key organisations who have collectively designed the concept.

"E-Pathshala has provided us an opportunity to keep the athletes in practice of football. Following the session today, I will convene a meeting every 15 days with the targeted coaches to take an update ensuring the participation of as many athletes as possible and to address any challenges that may arise during the process," said Vaz.

The E-Pathshala initiative is aimed at budding footballers below 18 years of age and provides guidance and training on three broad categories - football culture, skill and training. The experience is set to stimulate multiple faculties around football, namely, creativity and access to audiovisual assets. Narendra Gangwar, Assistant Professor at SAI's Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) LNCPE in Thiruvananthapuram, guided the trainees through the user-friendly virtual interface.

"This initiative has already received approx. 16,000 registrations so far. The Sports Authority of India and the All India Football Federation have worked very closely to develop this virtual interaction in an innovative outfit, to reach out to the lengths and breadths of the country," said Pradip Dutta, FIFA Instructor and Associate Professor at LNCPE.

"Designed specifically against the backdrop of the global pandemic, it aims to ensure that the Athletes stay connected with the technical aspects of the game and also maintain fitness."