The tournament marks the beginning of India’s selection journey to the Gothia Cup- renowned globally as the ‘World Youth Cup’ and the largest, most inclusive youth football tournament. Held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, it provides a global arena for young athletes, including those with intellectual disabilities, to pursue their football dreams, connect, and make memories.
The opening ceremony marked the presence of Mr. Dipankar Banerjee, Board Member, Special Olympics Bharat & Area Director, Special Olympics Bharat – Madhya Pradesh, along with state representatives, Shashi Shetty, Head – Sustainability & CSR (India, Southeast Asia & Middle East), and other representatives from SKF India (Industrial).
This year, over 150 athletes from 16 states are participating, competing for a place in the national squad. Following the tournament, 25 athletes will be shortlisted for national training camps from May to July, leading to the final team selection for Sweden.
Dr. Mallika Nadda, President, Special Olympics Bharat & Chairperson, Special Olympics Asia Pacific Advisory Council, said,
“The return of the ‘Meet the World’ Tournament reflects the strong and inclusive ecosystem being continuously nurtured by Special Olympics Bharat. Sport plays a transformative role in the lives of our athletes—enhancing their health, confidence, education, and leadership—while platforms like these ensure they compete with dignity and are recognized for their abilities.
We extend our sincere gratitude to SKF for their steadfast support. Their commitment truly embodies the spirit of ‘Each One Reach One.’ With impactful initiatives like the Gothia Cup already embraced, we look forward to many more international opportunities that will enable our athletes to gain global exposure and experience.
We wish all participating states and athletes the very best as they step onto the field, celebrate inclusion, and continue to inspire through their journey.”
Mukund Vasudevan, MD, SKF India (Industrial) Limited and President – India, Southeast Asia and Middle East, said,
“The ‘Gothia Cup’ is the world’s largest annual youth football tournament held in Sweden, featuring thousands of global teams, while ‘Meet the World’ is a pre-tournament initiative that offers underprivileged teams a chance to qualify for the main event. Through SKF’s long association with Gothia Cup and the Meet the World, we are proud to enable young athletes from across the world to move from grassroots participation to global representation. SKF India (Industrial), with Special Olympics Bharath is kick-starting this journey in India with National Level Football Championship in Gwalior among qualified teams. The winning team will be sent to represent India at the Gothia Cup. This initiative shows SKF’s commitment to not just sports but also sports as a medium to enable inclusion, opportunity, and global collaboration”.
The Gothia Cup, with the Special Olympics Trophy category, was established in 2011, providing a vital international platform for athletes with diverse cognitive abilities.
Launched in 2007, Meet the World’ is SKF’s global CSR and youth development initiative- serving as a pre-tournament to the Gothia Cup, held across 20+ countries where SKF operates. Over the years, it has emerged as a strong testament to the power of collaboration between government, corporates, and sports federations in creating inclusive opportunities at scale.
