Herald: How long have you been part of the Special Olympics?
Victor Vaz: I have been involved with Special Olympics since 1989 in Goa, later in 2003 at the National level. In 2005, I became the National Sports Director, working as a volunteer till June 2015.
H: What made you decide to work for Special Olympics Bharat Goa?
VV: It was just a coincidence when Edna Miranda Sousa requested me to join the organization and then on it was no looking back. I trained a Goan athlete who brought in the first gold medal in 1991 from the World Summer Games, Minnesota, USA.
H: How is the organisation set-up? How do they operate and make decisions at the National level?
VV: This organization is purely a volunteer based in Goa. We have a board which meets as and when required but once in a year and the area director runs the day-to-day activities and if necessary takes approval. At the National office i.e Special Olympics Bharat we have an office which is ISO 9001 registered (refer web site) <specialolympicsbharat.org>. The CEO leads this office.
H: How many coaches do you have for these special children and how do they manage to train and build up the kids in Goa?
VV: In Goa, we have two to three coaches in every school with sports knowledge and who have been trained under the coaches training organized by Special Olympics Bharat. The credit goes to the schools, who cater to children of intellectual disabilities, who keep the fitness training in progress. Then we conduct State games or selection. Later, a camp is conducted before sending them for the National event.
H: How are the special children funded? Are there private contributions, government funding or parents paying for their kids?
VV: In Goa, all contributions are personal and at times private. Be it at the State level or National level, we don’t collect any money from the parents or athletes in fact we pay for those who cannot afford. At the National level, the Sports Ministry is the strong supporter as they finance all camps and training programmes.
H: How important is the role of volunteers to this organization?
VV: Volunteers are the back bone of the organization and we respect them.
H: How are the volunteers assigned to each event?
VV: Role of the volunteers comes as and when required during the event. We do have a lot of well-wishers but few turn to volunteers since the events are held during the working days. The services of coaches from various schools are also taken.
H: What is the most challenging part of your job at the National level and what do you do to solve it?
VV: Working with 35 State organisations and keeping them motivated and united. Keep connected with each of the States.
H: In what way is your current leadership helping the association to meet its goals?
VV: To provide training throughout the year and facilitate the States in organising State and National games.
H: How do you get new ideas or programmes implemented? Is it always through the board or can the staff contribute new ideas?
VV: We always work as a team and the team members can propose a project and with the approval of the CEO it is executed.
H: After being the National Sports Director Special Olympics Bharat for almost 10 to 12 years do you feel satisfied with your post?
VV: Yes, since the Special Olympics Bharat is a huge programme, there are many challenges and I have been able to solve them and serve our special athletes well. Besides, introducing new sports/games, medals tally at the International level at every World Olympics Games has gone up.
H: Talk about medals haul and achievements.
VV: The Special Olympics Winter Games 2017 is our highest medal haul compared to last year and I am very proud of that. My achievement is to aim at the top and get as many as medals for the country. As far as Goa is concerned we have a total 74 medals from 1991 till date. India is at the 8th position in the Special Olympics Winter Games and my target is to bring the country to the top. My next mission is 2019 World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi and I am already preparing the team for the same by organising camps and other activities.
H: Anything else you would like to say about the organisation.
VV: The aim of our organization is to reach out to every athlete and give them an opportunity to perform in at least one sport in their lifetime and get more people involved.
