India Celebrates as Athletes Retain Gothia Cup Title

By : Krishna Mishra
Special Olympics Bharat hosted a heartfelt felicitation ceremony on Monday, to honour the outstanding performance of the Indian football teams at the recently concluded Gothia Cup 2025, held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The ceremony was graced by Raksha Khadse, Hon'ble Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports along with Mallika Nadda, President, Special Olympics Bharat, according to a release from Special Olympics Bharat.
With support from SKF, Special Olympics Bharat Boys' Team and the Haryana U-15 Girls' Team were selected to represent India at the 2025 Gothia Cup, which also completed 50 years of its inception in this edition.
The Special Olympics Bharat boys' team defended their title with unmatched resolve, emerging Gothia Cup champions for the second consecutive year. Their journey was a powerful display of confidence, camaraderie, and rising above limits, qualities that define not just the team, but the inclusive movement they represent.
India lifted the 2025 Gothia Cup after dominating the final and defeating Poland by 3-1. Ankush Kumar (8', 14') scored a brace and Saheer Muhammad (29') scored a goal as well, emerging as the stars in the final for India. Saheer also emerged as the top goalscorer for India, recording a total of 7 goals while Ankush and Stalin Kumar followed with 3 and 2 goals respectively.