13-year-old Indian boy skates to glory in Special Olympics

A 13-year-old boy has brought laurels to the state by winning gold and silver medals in the roller-skating competition at the recently concluded Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, USA.

A 13-year-old boy has brought laurels to the state by winning gold and silver medals in the roller-skating competition at the recently concluded Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, USA.

Ishant-Tudeja-a-13-year-old-boy-with-intellectual-disabilities-bagged-a-gold-and-silver-medal-in-roller-skating-at-the-Special-Olympics-World-Games-Parveen-Kumar-HT-Photo

Ishant Tudeja won gold in the 100-metre race and silver in the relay race.

“I feel proud of myself. It was a nice experience being away from home with new people,” Ishant said.

A student of DAV Public School at Sector 10A, Ishant suffers from intellectual disabilities as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He was the youngest member of the Indian contingent at the Olympics.

“He loves playing all kinds of sports like basketball, cricket but he is most passionate about roller skating. He practices roller skating every day and does not stop even if he gets injured,” said his mother Suman Tudeja.

She said that Ishant had suffered a hairline fracture just before going for one of the Olympic camps, but it did not dampen his spirit and he attended all five camps. “We were scared about sending him alone, but he has proved that he is capable of taking care of himself,” she said.