Ranveer Saini set for Special Olympics debut

Report by Anand Datla

July 28, 2015: The special Olympics is always a favourite hunting ground for inspiring stories from the field of sport. Golf is set to discover its own hero in the form of Ranveer Saini. The 14 year old from Gurgaon is all set to become the first ever indian golfer with special abilities to contest at the Special Olympic World Games at the Wilson & Harding course outside Los Angeles.

The precocious teenager has been supported to the hilt by a generous IGU, which has been the bed rock of amateur golf in India. Saini drew attention when he took home two gold medals from the Asia Pacific Golf International in Macau a couple of years ago. Impressed by his game and discipline, the IGU commissioned the help of Anitya Chand to help develop the golfer.

“Out of all the golf associations across India, the only organization which came up to us to support was the IGU. Each council member in the IGU recognized and applauded the great work done by Ranveer,” said a grateful Kartikeya Saini, the golfer’s father.  “They came forward to sponsor his golf training from last year till he left for the Special Olympics World Games 2015 in Los Angeles. Now he is all set to battle for the country.”

“We have created our own map of the Wilson and Harding Golf Club, and Ranveer has practiced twice as much as he usually does,” added the father. “Since he has already tasted victory at the Special Olympics in Macau when he won couple of gold medals, that had participation from more than 180 nations, is confident about doing it again in LA”

The teenager was diagnosed with autism when he was two – a neurological condition that impairs an individuals ability to manage social interactions. The class IX student of Scottish High has been playing golf since the age of nine.

And a large part of his development as a golfer is owed to patient mentorship of Chand. “From holding a club for the first time to winning in Macau, Ranveer has come a long way. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds because the biggest challenge for me was to communicate with him,” said the coach. “Soon, he realized that he should listen to me and now he hits a 260-yard ball and can play with any normal golfer.”

“There were parts of his game which needed some specific training, so I have trained him according to that. He is also carrying some notes with him and is glued to the internet all the time to learn new golf technologies,” he added. “I am sure that he won’t make many mistakes and bring another title for the country.” Saini will be playing in a field of nearly 300 golfers, so any accolade in LA will be a huge accomplishment for the young lad and his family.

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Quotations based on interactions with the press and media