The Special Olympics International Board of Directors announced that the 2027 Games will be held in Santiago which is the capital city of Chile. Special Olympics 2023 was held in Berlin, Germany and saw massive participation. This is the first time in the organization’s history that the Special Olympics will be held in the Southern Hemisphere.
A huge participation of 6000 athletes will be invited to the Games in Chile. Participants from over 170 countries are expected to participate in the Special Olympics which will have 22 Olympic-type sports. “We are thrilled that our 2027 World Games has been awarded to Chile’s capital city – Santiago. In less than 15 years, our Program in Chile has reduced the fear of difference and worked tirelessly to build systems that advance inclusion in sports, health, and education for one of the world’s most marginalized populations,” said Dr Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics Chairman.
What is Special Olympics?
Special Olympics is the world’s largest competition organized to give a platform to people with intellectual disabilities to express themselves. It was first started in 1968 and since then has seen participation from over 170 counties.
India at Special Olympics
India has been extremely successful in their past visits to the Special Olympics World Games. They have participated in 10 Summer and 6 Winter Games, winning 520 Gold, 579 Silver and 602 Bronze Medals in these events. In the recent Special Olympic Games in Berlin, India was able to grab 202 medals. The country participated in 16 different sporting events, winning 76 gold, 75 silver and 51 bronze medals.
Special Olympics is an event that takes place every two years. Prior to the Games in Santiago, the Special Olympics will be held in Turn, Italy in 2025. India will be hoping to put their best foot forward and continue their success to help spread the word about Special Olympics.
