NAAI’s South Zone Abilympics in Chennai Spotlights Vocational Skills of Persons with Disabilities; 14 Medalists to Compete Nationally

Chennai, June 26, 2025 — The South Zone Regional Abilympics 2025 came to a successful close at IIT Madras, as 14 Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) were recognised for their exceptional performance. 

Organised by the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI) in collaboration with Sarthak Educational Trust, and supported by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Government of India, TPCDT, and IndusInd Bank, the event marked a major milestone in India’s journey toward the 11th International Abilympics in Finland, 2027.

The two-day event brought together around 100 PwDs from across six southern states who participated in more than 30 vocational skills. Categories ranged from traditional trades to modern employment pathways. The medalists will now move on to compete at the National Abilympics 2025 in Delhi, scheduled for November which will serve as the final selection ground for India’s official delegation to the International Abilympics in Finland. 

This cohort includes five Gold, four Silver, and five Bronze medalists — a testament to the remarkable talent emerging from the South Zone.

Among the Gold medal winners were Sathish who is Hearing impaired from Coimbatore for Cake Decoration, Yogaganpathy from Chennai for Cleaning Services, Parul from Bangalore who has Locomotor Disability for Massage Services, Swetha Kulkarni who is Hearing Impaired from Chennai for Painting & Decoration, and Harishanthan from Trichy who has Locomotor Disability for Photography (Studio).

Silver medals were awarded to Yalini from Chennai in Cleaning Services, MOHAN E who also has Locomotor Disability won for Desktop Publishing, Rahul Kr Mahamalla from Chennai who has Locomotor Disability in Engineering Designing, and Prasanna Kumar who is Hearing impaired from Chennai in Painting & Decoration.

The Bronze medalists included P. Govindhan from Ayikudy(Tamil Nadu) for Basket Making who has Locomoto Disability, Lokesh V from Chennai who is hearing impaired for Character Design, Jaya Nandhana for Crochet, V. Murugan from Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) who has Locomotor Disability for Desktop Publishing, and Devarint Chandrashekar from Hyderabad for Painting & Decoration, he is Hearing impaired.

Dr. Jitender Aggarwal, Secretary-General of NAAI and Founder & CEO of Sarthak Educational Trust shared, “Abilympics India is not just a competition—it’s a national movement to rewrite the narrative around disability.It’s about unlocking potential, creating pathways to employment, and shifting mindsets from sympathy to strategy. Every skill showcased is a declaration of capability. This campaign is building an India where Persons with Disabilities are not just included but lead, thrive, and inspire.”

Day 1 of the South Zone Regional Abilympics 2025 was inaugurated by Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, Thiru R.N. Ravi, who lauded the initiative and emphasized the urgent need for skill development, inclusion. He shared, “Autistic children and persons with disabilities possess immense potential. What they need is structured training, guidance, and inclusive ecosystems to thrive. I commend Sarthak and IIT Madras for driving this mission forward with purpose”

The Abilympics also featured an Inclusive Job Fair and high-impact panel discussions on technology, policy, and employment, all under the theme “Road to Finland 2027 – Empowering Skills, Enabling Inclusion.” 

As the South Zone leg concludes, the Abilympics caravan will move forward to West Zone (Mumbai, July 4–5), North Zone (Lucknow, August 1–2), and East & Northeast Zone (Guwahati, August 22–23). Together, these regional rounds will build a robust, diverse, and skilled Team India ready to represent the country on the global stage.