Manasa Golden girl Pramila Pinto strikes gold at Special olympics

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 03 July 2011: We have all read about the athlete Ashwini Shetty,  Kabaddi player Mamata Poojari who have brought laurels to Karnataka state in several sporting events.   Now it’s the turn of Pramila Joyce Pinto, who is a student at Manasa Rehabilitation and Training Centre for Mentally Challenged Children, at Pamboor, Udupi.  In the recently held Special Olympics for specially-abled children at Athens, Greece she has won 1 Gold and 2 Bronze medals and made India and well as Karnataka proud.

 

 

Pramila won gold medal in F1 category of 30 meter straight lane Roller Skate event and won bronze medals in F1 and F2 categories of 30 meter slolom Roller Skate race.

 

Pramila daughter of Robert Pinto and Philomina Pinto basically hails from Bodanthila village of Vamanjoor.  Being a specially-abled child, when she could not get entry into general schools, she was admitted to Manasa in year 1998.  She manifested her interest in various activities and participated actively in sports and cultural events. Presently, she is doing her Vocation Course in Arts and Crafts.  Along with her curriculum activities, she developed much interest in roller skating.  She could display her talent at the National level event held in year 2009 and succeeded in attracting the attention of National selectors.   She participated in the training camps held at Pondicherry in June 2010 and Hyderabad in October and selected for the Special Olympics which were to held from 22nd June till 4th July at Athens, Greece.

 

By securing 3 medals in all the 3 events she participated, Pramila made her school, Principal and teachers proud.  Mr.Laxminarayana Upadhya who trained her especially for the event, social workers Mr.Nithyanand Olakadu and Jayshree Krishnaraj have expressed happiness over the performance of Pramila Joyce Pinto.

 

In the 30 meter Roller Skating slolom racing, Dhanya Rao of Mangalore bagged the silver while in F1 category of straight racing Dhanya Rao won gold medal.  Uzma Bagum won silver medal in the same event.  Likewise in F2 category, Ashka Patel won the gold while in F3 category also Gold and bronze were secured by Indian athletes.  Indian players also won gold in men’s 4x100 meter relay as well as gold and silver in 30 meter straight race and also gold in M3 category.

 

In athletic events,  other Indian players were also successful in getting many medals.  In Shot put Anita Rego secured bronze while Michael Rocky won bronze in 400 meter race.

 

These achievements by young children are not a small feat because they had to compete with American, British, Chinese athletes who are generally regarded as having best players in any sport event.  By winning medals in such a fiercely fought sports event, Pramila and others have shown their talent and proved that given the right training and facility, Indian players can also achieve success.  Now it’s the turn of society to recognize their talent and particularly the Government should come forward.  When Ashwini Shetty, Mamata Poojary won the gold medals several organizations had felicitated them,  also Government has given away cash rewards as well has other facilities.  Pramila and other achievers of Special Olympiad also deserve such recognition and support. 

 

Will the Government and social organizations come forward this time?