DME Noida Successfully Hosts National Training Boot Camp for India’s Abilympics Contingent

Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME) Noida successfully hosted a six-day national-level training boot camp for India’s selected Abilympics participants as part of the country’s preparations for the 11th International Abilympics, scheduled to be held in Finland in May 2027.
Organised in collaboration with the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI), the training programme was conducted from August 31 to September 5, 2026. The boot camp brought together five national-level participants who are preparing to represent India in the Word Processing and Desktop Publishing skill categories at the international competition.
A significant highlight of the programme was the involvement of two DME faculty members as National Experts for India. Mr. Madhav Sharma, Assistant Professor, DME Noida, and Dr. Vishal Sahai, Associate Professor, DME Media School, jointly conducted the training and mentoring sessions for all the participating candidates.
Mr. Madhav Sharma brings valuable international experience to the programme, having represented India as a National Expert at the 10th International Abilympics held in France in 2023. Recognising his expertise and contribution to the Abilympics movement, he has once again been selected as a National Expert for India for the 11th International Abilympics in Finland in 2027.
Dr. Vishal Sahai has also been selected as a National Expert to represent India at the 11th International Abilympics in Finland in 2027. His experience in media education, professional training and skill development contributed significantly to the preparation of the Indian participants.
Throughout the six-day boot camp, both experts provided intensive practical training, hands-on exercises and competition-oriented mentoring. The sessions focused on enhancing the participants’ technical proficiency, accuracy, speed, efficiency and confidence, while familiarising them with the demands of an international-level skills competition.
The participants trained during the programme included Mr. Mohan E from Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Mr. Chinmay Mandal from Kolkata, West Bengal; Mr. Karan Tanna from Mumbai, Maharashtra; Mr. Gaurav from Ahmedabad, Gujarat; and Mr. Hardik Shah from Pune, Maharashtra. The participating group included persons with locomotor disabilities and hearing impairments.
The Abilympics, popularly known as the “Olympics of Abilities,” is an international movement that promotes excellence in vocational and professional skills among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). It provides a global platform for participants to showcase their talent and compete across a range of skill categories, including information technology, arts and crafts, hospitality, services and other vocational disciplines.
India had an impressive performance at the 10th International Abilympics in Metz, France, in 2023, where 13 Indian participants competed across 12 skill categories. The Indian contingent won seven awards—one Gold, two Silver, three Bronze and one Medal of Excellence—and secured seventh position in the overall medals tally. The Indian winners were subsequently felicitated by President Droupadi Murmu and other senior government officials.
The National Abilympic Association of India, established in 2001, has played an important role in promoting and facilitating India’s participation in the International Abilympics. NAAI also successfully hosted the 6th International Abilympics in New Delhi in 2003.
The successful completion of the training boot camp at DME Noida marks an important milestone in India’s preparation for the 11th International Abilympics 2027. The programme also reflects DME’s commitment to inclusion, skill development, equal opportunity and social responsibility, while demonstrating the role educational institutions can play in empowering talented persons with disabilities.
Rajat Mohan, Abilympics Leader–India, Sarthak Educational Trust, expressed his gratitude to the DME Noida Management for extending institutional support and providing the necessary infrastructure, internet facilities and other resources required for the successful conduct of the national training programme.
The successful conclusion of the six-day boot camp has further strengthened the preparation of India’s selected participants as they move forward towards the 11th International Abilympics in Finland in May 2027.