Mangaluru Teacher to Coach India’s Floorball Team

Mangaluru: Soumya Devadiga from Mangaluru has been appointed as the coach of India’s floorball team for the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025, set to take place in Italy from March 8 to 15. This marks a significant milestone in her career, as she becomes the first female floorball coach from Mangaluru to represent India on an international stage.

Soumya, a teacher at the Lions Special School in Surathkal, has been actively involved in coaching special athletes. Her coaching journey began in 2018 when she led Kerala’s floor hockey team to a silver medal. In 2022, she mentored players at the national level in unified football, with one of her students, Likhitha, securing a bronze medal for India in the USA. However, due to passport-related issues, she was unable to travel with the team at the time.

Reflecting on her achievement in a media interaction, Soumya expressed pride in her role, stating that her passion for floorball and training children in the sport has finally led to this prestigious opportunity. She will be guiding a team that includes athletes from Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games will feature eight disciplines, with Indian athletes competing in events such as snowboarding, snowshoeing, alpine skating, cross-country, floorball, and figure skating. The Indian contingent, consisting of 78 members, including athletes and coaches, was officially announced by Prakash J Shettigar, President of Special Olympics Bharat – Karnataka (Dakshina Kannada district), during the press conference.

The announcement event was attended by several dignitaries, including Narayan Sherigar, Secretary of Special Olympics Bharat – Karnataka, who lauded Soumya’s achievement and contribution to the sport.