Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse on Monday, July 21, 2025, felicitated the Special Olympics Bharat football team for winning the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy 2025 in New Delhi.
During the felicitation ceremony, Raksha Khadse, who has been engaging personally with the athletes and coaches, said that the Ministry’s commitment to fostering an environment where every individual, irrespective of their abilities, can actualise their full potential is a core tenet of the ‘Viksit Bharat’ ethos.
The Gothia Cup, globally known as ‘The World Youth Cup,’ serves as the largest international youth football tournament, with the Special Olympics Trophy category, established in 2011. This year, the tournament was held in Sweden’s Gothenburg.
The Special Olympics Bharat team won the Gothia Cup 2025, culminating its journey with a decisive 3-1 victory against Poland in the final. The 2025 win was the team’s second consecutive victory. In 2024, the Special Olympics Bharat team secured an impressive 4-3 championship win against Denmark in the finals.
Khadse further said, “This victory profoundly underscores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’, a developed India that thrives on the principle of holistic inclusion and empowerment for all citizens, particularly through a vibrant and accessible sports culture.”
During her address, the Minister emphasised that the ‘Khelo Bharat Niti 2025’, a strategic government initiative, is central to developing sports from the grassroots level, ensuring that talent from every demographic and region of the nation is identified, nurtured, and provided opportunities to excel.
She affirmed, “The Gothia Cup triumph stands as a testament to the collaborative strength of government, corporates, and sports federations.”
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