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What is the minimum age for an athlete to compete in the Special Olympics?

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Answer: Option A — 8 years

Detailed Solution

Athletes must be at least 8 years old to compete in Special Olympics competitions. There is no upper age limit. Younger children, aged 2 to 7, can take part in the "Young Athletes" programme, which focuses on play and basic skills rather than competition.

About the Special Olympics:

The Special Olympics is a global sports movement for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

It was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of US President John F. Kennedy.

The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in July 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago, USA.

The Special Olympics is recognised by the International Olympic Committee, but it is separate from the Paralympics, which is for athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments at an elite level.

Special Olympics World Games, Summer and Winter, are held every two years, alternating.

Athletes are grouped by ability ("divisioning") so that competitions are fair, and every athlete is honoured.

The athlete oath is: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Special Olympics in India:

Special Olympics Bharat is the national body. It is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Indian athletes have won many medals at the World Games. At the 2023 World Summer Games in Berlin, the Indian contingent won over 200 medals.

Difference between related events:

  • Paralympics: elite sport for athletes with physical, visual or intellectual impairments; held after the Olympics in the same city.
  • Special Olympics: for people with intellectual disabilities, at all ability levels.
  • Deaflympics: for deaf athletes; first held in Paris in 1924.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗5 years is within the "Young Athletes" programme age range (2-7), not competition.
  • ✗12 years and 16 years are not the minimum age for Special Olympics competition.

Quick tip

Remember: Special Olympics = for intellectual disabilities, minimum competition age 8 (Young Athletes 2-7), founded 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver (Chicago); Deaflympics = 1924.

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Sports — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Sports, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers sports GK: major tournaments and their venues, trophies and cups associated with each sport, sports terms, the number of players in a team, sports awards in India, Olympic and Asian Games facts, and famous sportspersons and their achievements. Common questions ask which sport a trophy belongs to (such as the Durand Cup for football or the Ranji Trophy for cricket), which term is used in which sport, and where a tournament was held. Records and results change after every season, so pair static facts such as team sizes and terms with recent results from current affairs. Practise the sports questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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