Prakash Rath, with fellow liaisons, Rhea Gossel (Switzerland) & Ann Elizabeth Zaccharia (UAE)
March, 2025: CEO, Open Learning Systems (OLS), and Special Olympics Bharat (SOB) Odisha Area Director, Prakash Rath, travelled to Italy at the invitation of the Local Organising Committee in Turin, to lead volunteer management, and competitor and spectator support work at the Special Olympics World Winter Games (SOWWG) held from March 4 to 17. Owing to Rath’s prior international experience, he was amongst the select few invited by the LOC to undertake this important responsibility at an event that brought together 1500 competitors from 103 countries, 621 coaches, and 3200 volunteers.
Rath received congratulatory messages from many quarters for his nomination and invitation. This is a matter of honour for Odisha, SOB Odisha Chairperson Sunita Mund said. All board members of SOB-Odisha, and ex-chairperson Kasturi Mohapatra also congratulated him. Tapan Mohanty, managing director of Z-Estate, offered sponsorship for Rath and a selected player from Odisha.
As the Head Assistance Liaison to Special Olympics Bharat, the Delegation from India, Rath’s work was divided between Turin and Sestriere, where SO Bharat bagged 8 gold, 18 silver, and 11 bronze medals, performing splendidly in a wide range of sports, from alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding, to short-track speed skating and floorball.
